Neo-Nazi leader gets 15 years for recruiting violent attacks, including a Santa poison plot

Michail Chkhikvishvili, a 22-year-old from the country of Georgia known as “Commander Butcher,” received a 15-year sentence on Wednesday in Brooklyn federal court. The leader of the Maniac Murder Cult pleaded guilty to soliciting hate crimes and distributing instructions for making bombs and ricin. Prosecutors revealed he directed an undercover FBI employee to target Brooklyn schools and children with poison.

Evidence showed Chkhikvishvili authored a “Hater’s Handbook” to incite a religious and racial war. One specific plot involved dressing as Santa Claus to distribute poisoned candy to minority children. While the defense argued the defendant was a reformed individual who suffered from mental health struggles, the court cited the group’s influence on real-life violence and his repeated efforts to terrorize local Jewish communities.

Summary by Dispatch AI — read the full story at Brooklyn Eagle — Heights Press.