Marathon Bombing Suspect's Friends Indicted on Federal Charges

By Jake O'Donnell

Two college friends of suspected Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev were indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury for allegedly impeding the bombing investigation.

According to the U.S Attorney's office in Boston, Kazakhstan nationals Dias Kadyrbayev, 19, and Azamat Tazhayakov, 19, have been charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstructing justice.

Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov were living in New Bedford on student visas where they were studying at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, the same school where Tsarnaev was a classmate.

Three days after the April 15 bombings, the FBI circulated images of the two suspects in the case, who would eventually be identified as brothers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev.

Kadyrbayev, according to the indictment, is alleged to have received a text message from Dzhokhar Tsarnaev telling him to go to his “room and take what’s there.”

From there it is alleged Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov went to the dorm room and took items including Tsarnaev's laptop and a backpack containing fireworks and took it back to their apartment.

Kadyrbayev put the backpack in a garbage bag and placed it in the dumpster outside the apartment, with Tazhayakov's knowledge and approval, according to the indictment.

The U.S. Attorney's office said both men could face up to 20 years in prison on the obstruction of justice count, up to five years in prison on conspiracy, followed by three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine and the possibility of being deported.

The pair were originally charged via a May 1 criminal complaint.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev appeared in federal court last month and was arraigned on 30 charges related to the bombings, pleading not guilty.