Neo-Nazi Leader Wanted To Kill NYC Jewish Kids With Poison Candy: Feds

NEW YORK CITY — An Eastern European neo-Nazi leader is accused of planning an attack where an associate dressed in a Santa Claus costume would poison minorities and Jewish children with laced candies, federal authorities said.

Michail Chkhikvishvili, 20, a Georgian national and the leader of the Maniac Murder Cult, has been charged with soliciting hate crimes and acts of mass violence, prosecutors said.

Chkhikvishvili is also accused of encouraging others to commit hate crimes on behalf of the cult, including bombings and arson in NYC.

The cult leader was arrested in Moldova by Interpol on July 6.

In 2022, Chkhikvishvili began living with his grandmother in Brooklyn claimed to have previously committed other hate crimes in the city, prosecutors said.

He boasted to others that he was “glad I have murdered,” and that he would “murder more” but “make others murder first," prosecutors said.

In 2023, the alleged cult leader began telling others of his planned attack on New Year's Eve. He was finally caught after he tried to recruit an undercover FBI agent to join the group.

Chkhikvishvili drafted step-by-step instructions to carry out the scheme and shared with the group detailed manuals on creating and mixing lethal poisons and gases. He also instructed the cult on methods of making ricin-based poisons in powder and liquid form, including by extracting ricin from castor beans, prosecutors said.

If convicted, Chkhikvishvili faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for solicitation of violent felonies, five years for conspiring to solicit violent felonies, 20 years for distributing information pertaining to the making and use of explosive devices, and five years for transmitting threatening communications.

The defendant sought to recruit others to commit violent attacks and killings in furtherance of his Neo-Nazi ideologies,” said United States Attorney BreonPeace. “His goal was to spread hatred, fear and destruction by encouraging bombings, arson and even poisoning children, for the purpose of harming racial minorities, the Jewish community and homeless individuals. We will not hesitate to find and prosecute those who threaten the safety and freedoms of all members of our community, including members of minority communities, no matter where in the world these criminals might be hiding.”