From December 1917, he operated in the apparatus of the Cheka and became a principal organizer of Lenin's Red Terror, credited with devising the system of taking and shooting hostages to recover deserters and to put down peasant rebellions in areas controlled by the Red Army. He was recognized by his superiors for his work in pursuing, arresting, and liquidating Russian sailors after the Bolshevik suppression of the Kronstadt rebellion in March 1921.
From December 1917, he functioned within the framework of the Cheka and emerged as a primary organizer of Lenin's Red Terror, credited with developing the system of capturing and executing hostages to recapture deserters and quell peasant uprisings in areas under Red Army control. He was acknowledged by his superiors for his efforts in pursuing, apprehending, and eliminating Russian sailors following the Bolshevik suppression of the Kronstadt rebellion in March 1921.