A Massachusetts man has been sentenced to over three years in prison for obstructing a federal investigation into fires at Jewish institutions in the Boston area. Alexander Giannakakis, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to 42 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
Giannakakis, formerly of Quincy, Mass., pleaded guilty in November 2024 to charges of concealing records, tampering with documents and objects, and tampering with an official proceeding. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2022 and extradited from Sweden to the United States in February 2024.
"Rather than assist authorities, Alexander Giannakakis chose instead to impede the FBI’s investigation by lying to investigators and destroying and concealing evidence," stated United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. She emphasized that obstructing law enforcement can lead to severe consequences.
Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Boston Division, commented on the case: "With today’s sentence, Alexander Giannakakis learned the hard way that the family ties that bind you together can also land you in federal prison."
The investigation began when Giannakakis’ younger brother became a prime suspect in arson cases involving four fires at Jewish institutions around Boston in May 2019. His brother was hospitalized in a coma at the time he was identified as a suspect and later died that year.
After his brother's identification as a suspect, Giannakakis left for Sweden with his brother's electronic devices and documents. Upon returning to the U.S. in March 2020, he provided false statements during questioning about his brother's involvement and destroyed evidence linking his brother to the crimes before fleeing back to Sweden.
Authorities from both countries cooperated extensively on this case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs played a key role in securing Giannakakis' arrest and extradition from Sweden.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jodi Cohen of the FBI; Chief Juliann Flaherty of Arlington Police; Chief John Schlittler of Needham Police; Chief Keith E. Houghton of Chelsea Police; along with Swedish authorities were involved in today's announcement regarding Giannakakis' sentencing.