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College Friends Of Boston Marathon Bomber Indicted By Grand Jury

Colin Hale |
August 8, 2013 | 12:34 p.m. PDT

Executive Producer

Kadyrbayev, Tazhayakov, and Tsarnaev/via Facebook
Kadyrbayev, Tazhayakov, and Tsarnaev/via Facebook
Two college friends of suspected Boston marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev were indicted on Thursday by a federal grand jury for allegedly obstructing a federal investigation following the April 15 attack.

U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz said that Dias Kadyrbayev and Azamat Tazhayakov were charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstructing justice with the intent to impede the bombing investigation.

According to CNN, Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov allegedly removed a backpack with fireworks, Vaseline, and a flashdrive from Tsarnaev's college dorm room at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth on April 18 after law enforcement identified Tsarnaev as a suspect in the marathon bombing. 

Prosecutors said that Tsarnaev's friends also agreed to dispose of the backpack, placing it in a garbage bag and placing it in the trash outside of their apartment.  According to the indictment, the two friends then watched news reports and ensured that a garbage truck came to their apartment on April 19, taking the garbage bin containing the backpack.

Tazhayakov, 19, and Kadurbayev, 19, both from Kazakhstan on student visas, could face up to 25 years in prison and deportation if convicted.

Thursday's indictment replaces a May 1 obstruction charge that included another Tsarnaev friend, Robel Phillipos.  Thursday's indictment did not include Phillipos, but did add the conspiracy charge.

The April 15 attack on the Boston Marathon killed three people and wounded more than 250.  Authorities believe that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev planned the attack along with his older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who died in a shootout with police on April 18. Dzhokhar was arrested the following day and faces 30 charges, including using a weapon of mass destruction to kill.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has pled not guilty.

Reach Executive Producer Colin Hale here. Follow him on Twitter.



 

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