Three friends of Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's were arrested Wednesday, accused of helping Tsarnaev by discarding a backpack containing fireworks and other belongings.
The suspects are college students Azamat Tazhayakov, 20, Dias Kadyrbayev and Robel Phillipos, both 19 years old.
Tazhayakov and Kadyrbayev, both from Kazakhstan, are both accused of "knowingly destroying, concealing and covering up objects belonging to (Tsarnaev), namely a backpack containing fireworks," a criminal complaint reads.
And the third suspect, Phillipos, was charged with lying about his involvement in the alleged coverup when speaking with federal authorities.
The three suspects met Tsarnaev at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth in 2011.
Tazhayakov and Kadyrbayev are facing a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for conspiring to obstruct justice.
But a neighbor of the two suspects was surprised to learn of their arraignment.
"They seemed like nice boys. I liked them," the neighbor said, as quoted by the NY Daily News.
And according to the same neighbor, Tazhayakov and Kadyrbayev apparently have not paid their rent in three months but were driving around in a BMW donning the vanity plate, "Terrorista#1."
Phillipos also appeared in court Wednesday, accused of lying in a terrorism investigation and faces a maximum sentence of 8 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Phillipos' neighbors were also shocked to learn of his possible involvement in the Boston bombing case.
"I was shocked. He's not the kind of kid who gets involved," said Linda Williams.
"He had a good head on his shoulders."
Read The Original Document Of The Criminal Complaint Here
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction
