A federal grand jury has charged two college friends of the alleged Boston Marathon bomber with obstructing the investigation into the April 15 attack that killed three people and injured scores of others.
Dias Kadyrbayev, 19, and Azamat Tazhayakov, 19, both citizens of Kazakhstan living in New Bedford, Mass., on student visas, were charged Thursday with conspiring to obstruct justice and obstructing justice with the intent to impede the Boston Marathon bombing investigation. The indictment replaces original charges filed May 1 against the friends. If convicted of both counts, the men could face up to 25 years in prison and deportation.
Prosecutors say Kadyrbayev, Tazhayakov and another friend retrieved alleged bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's backpack from his dorm room and tossed it in the trash after finding evidence that Tsarnaev had bombmaking material, including fireworks.
The indictment says on the evening of April 18, after the FBI made public photos of bombing suspects Tsarnaev and his older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, Kadyrbayev got a text message from Dzhokhar Tsarnaev inviting him to go to his dorm room and "take what's there." Kadyrbayev, Tazhayakov, and another friend went to Tsarnaev's dormitory room and removed Tsarnaev's laptop computer and a backpack containing fireworks, the indictment says.
The friends took the items to their apartment in New Bedford, the indictment says. Later that night, Kadyrbayev put Tsarnaev's backpack in a garbage bag and dumped it in the trash outside the apartment, the indictment says.
Dias Kadyrbayev, 19, and Azamat Tazhayakov, 19, both citizens of Kazakhstan living in New Bedford, Mass., on student visas, were charged Thursday with conspiring to obstruct justice and obstructing justice with the intent to impede the Boston Marathon bombing investigation. The indictment replaces original charges filed May 1 against the friends. If convicted of both counts, the men could face up to 25 years in prison and deportation.
Prosecutors say Kadyrbayev, Tazhayakov and another friend retrieved alleged bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's backpack from his dorm room and tossed it in the trash after finding evidence that Tsarnaev had bombmaking material, including fireworks.
The indictment says on the evening of April 18, after the FBI made public photos of bombing suspects Tsarnaev and his older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, Kadyrbayev got a text message from Dzhokhar Tsarnaev inviting him to go to his dorm room and "take what's there." Kadyrbayev, Tazhayakov, and another friend went to Tsarnaev's dormitory room and removed Tsarnaev's laptop computer and a backpack containing fireworks, the indictment says.
The friends took the items to their apartment in New Bedford, the indictment says. Later that night, Kadyrbayev put Tsarnaev's backpack in a garbage bag and dumped it in the trash outside the apartment, the indictment says.