Two friends of Boston marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev are facing federal charges for what the FBI alleges was an attempt to destroy evidence.
According to MyFoxBoston.com, Dias Kadyrbayev and Azamat Tazhayakov were charged Thursday with conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstructing justice with the intent to impede the bombing investigation. The two have been in federal custody since their arrest.
Back in May, both boys revealed that the accused teen terrorist bragged about knowing how to make bombs just one month before the marathon explosions killed three people and injured 260 others. Tsnarnev's friends, 19-year-old Kazakhstan nationals at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, are now also facing charges for aiding the suspect.
In May, the boys appeared in a Boston court along with another one of Tsarnaev's friends. Tazhayakov and Kadyrbayev were charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice for purportedly trying to get rid of a laptop and backpack full of fireworks belonging to Dzhokhar after one of them realized Dzhokhar may be involved in the bombings. They are currently facing up to five years in prison. Phillipos was charged with lying to federal investigators and is facing up to eight years behind bars.
All three of the friends discovered that Dzhokhar possessed fireworks with missing powder while they were hanging out in his dorm room after the attack. According to a criminal complaint, that was when Kadyrbayev "knew" his friend was involved in the attack.
Court documents also revealed that Kadyrbayev had a conversation with Dzhokhar three days after the deadly bombings via text message. Kadyrbayev told Dzhokhar that he resembled one of the possible suspects responsible for the attack. Dzhokhar replied writing, "LOL," and added, "you better not text me." Dzhokhar also told Kadyrbayev to take whatever he wanted from his dorm room. However, Kadyrbayev says that he thought his friend was just joking.
If convicted, Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov face up to 20 years in prison on the obstruction of justice count and up to five years in prison on the conspiracy count.