Brother Of Suspected Jewish Center Arsonist Arrested In Sweden

MASSACHUSETTS — The brother of a suspected arsonist of Jewish centers in three Massachusetts communities was arrested by federal authorities in Sweden and charged with obstructing the investigation into the fires.

Alexander Giannakakis, 35, formerly of Quincy, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston on charges of making false statements in a matter involving domestic terrorism; falsifying, concealing and covering up a material fact in a matter involving domestic terrorism by trick, scheme and device; concealing records in a federal investigation; tampering with documents and objects; and tampering with an official proceeding.

Giannakakis was arrested in a suburb of Stockholm at the request of the United States, which plans to seek his extradition to Boston.

Federal authorities said Giannakakis deliberately misled investigators and concealed evidence linking his younger brother to the fires at a Chabad Center in Arlington, a Chabad Center in Needham and a Jewish-affiliated business in Chelsea in May 2019.

Six months after the last fire, Giannakakis's brother was hospitalized and in a coma, where he remained until his death, federal authorities said. Giannakakis's brother became the prime suspect in the fires in February 2020.

Around that time, investigators said Giannakakis left the United States with his brother's electronic devices and papers, and brought them to Sweden. He returned to Quincy with his brother's electronics the following month, authorities said.

While there, Giannakakis was questioned by investigators about his brother's connection to the fires and whether the family had a storage unit, the USAO said. He said his parents had a unit at a nearby storage facility, later admitting he controlled access to it, and claimed there were no other places where his brother may have kept property after a search of the first unit, federal authorities said.

These statements and actions were "intentionally false and misleading," as the night before Giannakakis had been to the first storage unit and another unit at the same facility, federal authorities said. This second unit held items belonging to his brother, including tee shirts with a swastika on the front, a box with his brother's name on it, his brother's passport, a notebook with his brother's name on it and a swastika drawn inside and a black backpack containing a bottle of cyanide, the USAO said.

Investigators said Giannakakis leased the second unit himself and listed his brother as an authorized user. He deliberately lied about its existence and removed items belonging to his brother that were relevant to the investigation, including the backpack and cyanide, authorities said.

Giannakakis left the country on March 22, 2020 and remained there until his arrest, the USAO said.

"Today's arrest in Stockholm came about as a result of a close partnership with our state, local, federal and international law enforcement partners – specifically our Swedish counterparts," U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins said. "International cooperation is critical to our efforts to get justice and accountability for our victims here in Massachusetts."