Mass. man extradited from Sweden in connection with fires at Jewish institutions

A Massachusetts man was extradited from Sweden in connection with fires at Jewish institutions in Arlington, Needham, and Chelsea, Mass. in May of 2019.

Alexander Giannakakis, 37, formerly of Quincy, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in 2019 for making false statements in a matter involving “domestic terrorism, falsifying, concealing and covering up a material fact in a matter involving domestic terrorism, concealing records in a federal investigation; tampering with documents and objects; and tampering with an official proceeding, the U.S. Attorney in Massachusetts announced.

“After the indictment was returned, at the request of the United States, Giannakakis was arrested by Swedish authorities in a Stockholm suburb, the DA in Mass. said. The United States subsequently sought Giannakakis’ extradition from Sweden to the United States to face charges in Boston.

After his arrest in Sweden, authorities also learned that Giannakakis unlawfully possessed a firearm and other weapons in Sweden. Giannakakis was charged and convicted of those crimes and served a sentence in Swedish prison.

According to the indictment, Giannakakis’s brother was the suspect into four fires at A Chabad Center in Arlington on May 11, 2019 and May 16, 2019, a Chabad Center in Needham and a Jewish-affiliated business in Chelsea on May 26, 2019.

Giannakakis’ younger brother was hospitalized in a coma at the time he was identified as a suspect in February 2020. He remained in a coma until his death later that year, the DA says.

The indictment says that Giannakakis left the U.S. and went to Sweden with his brother’s papers and electronic devices. He then made false and misleading statements to investigators and allegedly removed and concealed physical evidence being sought by investigators which implicated his brother.

Giannakakis is scheduled to appear in federal court in Boston on Monday, February 5th.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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