Accused neo-Nazi cult leader extradited to US, as DOJ alleges ties to deadly Nashville school shooting [View all]

Source: ABC News

May 23, 2025, 12:29 PM


The alleged leader of a neo-Nazi cult based overseas has been extradited to the United States and accused of "multiple senseless killings" around the world, including the shooting at Antioch High School in Nashville earlier this year that left one student dead and another injured, according to the Justice Department.

Michail Chkhikvishvili, a Georgian national arrested in Moldova last year, was arraigned Friday in U.S. federal court in Brooklyn, the DOJ said. His attorney entered a plea of not guilty to the charges and the judge ordered him detained. A status conference in the case was scheduled for June 11.

Chkhikvishvili was indicted last year on several federal charges, including two counts of soliciting hate crimes and other violent attacks. According to the DOJ, he was a leader of the "Maniac Murder Cult," a Russian and Ukrainian-based extremist group also known as "MKY" that promotes violence against racial minorities, the Jewish community, and others it deems "undesirables."

In announcing his indictment last year, the DOJ said Chkhikvishvili – who allegedly also goes by the moniker "Commander Butcher" – distributed a self-authored "Hater's Handbook" encouraging readers to commit school shootings and other mass "terror attacks," providing suggested methods and strategies.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/US/accused-neo-nazi-cult-leader-extradited-us-doj/story?id=122115150