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.
For several months after December 1917, he worked within the Cheka apparatus, playing a key role in orchestrating Lenin's Red Terror campaign. He is credited with inventing a strategy to capture and execute hostages to suppress deserters and peasant rebellions in areas controlled by the Red Army. His superiors praised him for his work in tracking down and eliminating Russian sailors after the Bolsheviks crushed the Kronstadt uprising in March 1921.