Man Pleads Guilty To Obstructing Antisemitic Vandalism Investigations

ARLINGTON, MA — A man was sentenced in Boston federal court this week to nearly four years in prison for obstructing investigations into fire set at multiple Jewish institutions throughout the state.

37-year-old Alexander Giannakakis was extradited from his native Sweden after pleading guilty to concealing records in a federal investigation, tampering with documents and objects, and tampering with an official proceeding. The former Quincy resident reportedly lied to investigators and destroyed evidence regarding fires set to Chabad Centers in Arlington, Chelsea, and Needham in 2019.

According to the United States Attorney’s Office, Giannakakis fled the country with evidence when his younger brother was identified as the primary suspect of the crimes. In addition, he also made false statements to investigators when questioned in 2020.

“Mr. Giannakakis destroyed evidence and obstructed the FBI’s investigation into his brother’s acts of domestic terrorism that sent shockwaves of fear throughout the Jewish community. Instead of doing what was right and calling out his brother’s vile conduct, Mr. Giannakakis tried to cover for him,” Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Boston Division Jodi Cohen said. “Anyone who thinks they can lie to us and get away with it, should think twice. The FBI can’t properly carry out investigations, if the people we interview think they can deceive us without consequence.”

In addition to 42 months in prison, Giannakakis’s sentence includes three years of supervised release.