Massachusetts man arrested in Sweden, charged in connection with arson investigation at Boston-area Jewish sites
A former Quincy man has been arrested in Sweden, as the feds charge him in connection with the investigation into four fires set at Boston-area Jewish institutions.
Alexander Giannakakis, 35, was arrested by Swedish authorities in a Stockholm suburb at the request of the U.S.
Giannakakis has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for allegedly obstructing the arson investigation at the Jewish sites in Arlington, Needham and Chelsea, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
His younger brother was the prime suspect in the investigation into the four fires that had been set at Jewish-related institutions in the Boston area.
“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 in a statement.
“International cooperation is critical to our efforts to get justice and accountability for our victims here in Massachusetts,” she added.
Giannakakis was indicted for 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.
The four fires were in May 2019: two at a Chabad Center in Arlington, one at a Chabad Center in Needham, and one at a Jewish-affiliated business in Chelsea.
Giannakakis’ younger brother was hospitalized and in a coma since November 2019, approximately six months after the fourth fire. He remained in a coma until his death.
Investigators learned that Giannakakis had left the U.S. with his younger brother’s electronic devices and papers, and brought them to Sweden. In March 2020, Giannakakis re-entered the U.S. with his brother’s electronics.
When Giannakakis returned to Quincy, he was asked by investigators about his younger brother’s connection to the fires and whether the family had a storage unit. Giannakakis allegedly told investigators that his parents had a storage unit at a nearby storage facility, and later admitted that he maintained and controlled access to it.
Following a search of the storage unit, Giannakakis was asked where else his brother might have kept property. Giannakakis responded that there were no other locations.
Giannakakis knew that these statements and actions were intentionally false and misleading, according to the feds. During the night before, he had visited both the storage unit and a second storage unit at the same facility — which contained items belonging to his younger brother, including T-shirts with a swastika depicted on the front, a notebook with his brother’s name on it and a swastika drawn inside, and a black backpack containing a bottle of cyanide.
“It is alleged that Giannakakis deliberately lied about the second storage unit and concealed it from investigators to prevent them from seizing his brother’s property,” the feds said.
The U.S. plans to seek his extradition to face charges in Boston.
from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/2EgZpmz
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