Anthony
Super Moderator
Two friends of accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev were indicted Thursday on federal obstruction of justice charges, while lawyers for a third friend said he is negotiating a possible deal in his case.
Dias Kadyrbayev and Azamat Tazhayakov, both 19-year-old former students from Kazakhstan, were indicted by a federal grand jury, which said the boys took evidence from Tsarnaev’s dorm room at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, put it in the garbage and watched a garbage truck take it away after authorities had publicly identified Tsarnaev as a suspect. They were first charged in May in US District Court, but the indictment increased their possible sentence from five to 25 years in prison.
Robel Phillipos the third friend is from Cambridge, he was also charged in May with lying to investigators, but he was not indicted Thursday. His lawyers filed a motion yesterday in US District Court in Boston saying Phillipos is “engaged in negotiations aimed at possible resolution of this matter,â€
Their lawyers said Thursday that the teenagers didn’t know that Tsarnaev was involved in the attack and said they plan to fight the new charges in court. They are not accused of helping with the bombings, they are being charged for destroying evidence after the incident.
“It’s disappointing that the government would charge Dias and Azamat, given that they cooperated fully,†Robert G. Stahl, Kadyrbayev’s lawyer, said in a phone interview. “Obviously in this situation and the political and social atmosphere, no one is going to give them any breaks.â€
Azamat Tazhayakov is “scared, distressed 19-year-old boyâ€, said his lawyer Arkady Bukh. “I personally feel this is a witch hunt,†Bukh said from his New York office. “This is a case that should go to trial, and the client should have an opportunity to explain his behavior to a jury. If the government doesn’t feel like dismissing the case, we will go to trial.â€
Tuesday at 2 p.m., Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov are scheduled to be arraigned in US District Court in Boston, currently are being held without bail at the Essex County Correctional Facility in Middleton. They were arrested April 20 on immigration violations, then charged May 1 with conspiracy to obstruct justice, which carries a penalty of up to five years.
Thursday’s indictment accused them of conspiracy and added a new charge of obstruction of justice, which carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison. Each charge also carries up to three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Both also face possible deportation to Kazakhstan, an oil-producing nation in Central Asia.
US Attorney Carmen Ortiz declined to comment Thursday through a spokeswoman.
Dias Kadyrbayev and Azamat Tazhayakov, both 19-year-old former students from Kazakhstan, were indicted by a federal grand jury, which said the boys took evidence from Tsarnaev’s dorm room at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, put it in the garbage and watched a garbage truck take it away after authorities had publicly identified Tsarnaev as a suspect. They were first charged in May in US District Court, but the indictment increased their possible sentence from five to 25 years in prison.
Robel Phillipos the third friend is from Cambridge, he was also charged in May with lying to investigators, but he was not indicted Thursday. His lawyers filed a motion yesterday in US District Court in Boston saying Phillipos is “engaged in negotiations aimed at possible resolution of this matter,â€
Their lawyers said Thursday that the teenagers didn’t know that Tsarnaev was involved in the attack and said they plan to fight the new charges in court. They are not accused of helping with the bombings, they are being charged for destroying evidence after the incident.
“It’s disappointing that the government would charge Dias and Azamat, given that they cooperated fully,†Robert G. Stahl, Kadyrbayev’s lawyer, said in a phone interview. “Obviously in this situation and the political and social atmosphere, no one is going to give them any breaks.â€
Azamat Tazhayakov is “scared, distressed 19-year-old boyâ€, said his lawyer Arkady Bukh. “I personally feel this is a witch hunt,†Bukh said from his New York office. “This is a case that should go to trial, and the client should have an opportunity to explain his behavior to a jury. If the government doesn’t feel like dismissing the case, we will go to trial.â€
Tuesday at 2 p.m., Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov are scheduled to be arraigned in US District Court in Boston, currently are being held without bail at the Essex County Correctional Facility in Middleton. They were arrested April 20 on immigration violations, then charged May 1 with conspiracy to obstruct justice, which carries a penalty of up to five years.
Thursday’s indictment accused them of conspiracy and added a new charge of obstruction of justice, which carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison. Each charge also carries up to three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Both also face possible deportation to Kazakhstan, an oil-producing nation in Central Asia.
US Attorney Carmen Ortiz declined to comment Thursday through a spokeswoman.