Quincy man extradited from Sweden to face charges related to fires set at Jewish organizations in 2019
BOSTON - A Quincy man, who will face charges related to a 2019 series of fires at Jewish institutions, has been extradited from Sweden.
Alexander Giannakakis, 37, was indicted in 2019 on several charges relating to the fires, including covering up an act of domestic terrorism. After the indictment, Giannakakis was arrested in a suburb of Stockholm by Swedish authorities at the request of the United States.
After the arrest, authorities found Giannakakis illegally possessed firearms. He was convicted of those crimes and served a sentence in a Swedish prison before being extradited to the U.S.
Police said Giannakakis's younger brother was suspected of setting fires at a Chabad Center in Arlington, at a Chabad Center in Needham and at a Jewish-affiliated business in Chelsea in May of 2019. The younger brother was in a coma when he was identified as a suspect in 2020 and died later that year.
Police allege that Giannakakis brought his younger brother's devices and papers to Sweden, where he was living. Police also said he made false statements to police when he was questioned in 2020 and concealed evidence implicating his brother.
Giannakakis arrived at Logan Airport on Friday and will appear in federal court in Boston on Monday.