Michail Chkhikvishvili, a citizen of the Republic of Georgia also known as Mishka, Michael, Commander Butcher, and Butcher, was extradited to the United States from Moldova on May 22, the U.S. Justice Department announced in a press release on Friday.
It said Chkhikvishvili, 21, from Tbilisi, was to be arraigned in federal court in Brooklyn later in the day.
Chkhikvishvili was arrested in Chișinău, Moldova, in July 2024 in connection with a four-count indictment returned in the Eastern District of New York charging him with soliciting hate crimes and acts of mass violence in New York City.
According to court documents, Chkhikvishvili is a leader of the Maniac Murder Cult, also known as Maniacs Murder Cult, Maniacs: Cult of Killing (MKY, MMC and MKU), an international, racially motivated violent extremist group.
According to the indictment, Chkhikvishvili recruited people to commit violent acts in furtherance of MKY’s ideologies, including planning and soliciting a mass casualty attack in New York City.
“This case is a stark reminder of the kind of terrorism we face today: online networks plotting unspeakable acts of violence against children, families, and the Jewish community in pursuit of a depraved, extremist ideology,” said U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Department of Justice will not tolerate hate-fueled violence, and we will pursue those who threaten innocent lives wherever they may be.”
FBI Director Kash Patel said, “The defendant is accused of recruiting others to kill Jewish people, kill racial minorities, and of providing instructions on how to commit other lethal attacks—even targeting children around the holidays by poisoning candy.”
Calling the allegations “despicable,” Patel said that thanks to the work and partnership of the FBI and the authorities in Moldova, “Chkhikvishvili has been brought to the United States to face charges in our justice system.”