Tsarnaev Friend Gets 2.5 Years In Prison For Misleading Investigators
BOSTON (CBS/AP) — A friend who had dinner with the Boston Marathon bombers hours after the attack has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for misleading investigators.
Khairullozhon Matanov was a friend of Tamerlan Tsarnaev and an acquaintance of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. He pleaded guilty in March to misleading the FBI after the 2013 bombings by deleting his computer files and failing to disclose contact he had with the brothers.
His plea agreement with prosecutors was subject to approval by the judge.
The Kyrgyzstan native wasn't accused of knowing about the bombings ahead of time or participating in the attack.
"I want to apologize for lying. It was wrong. I'm not a sympathizer of any terrorist organization," Matanov said before his sentencing.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev died in a shootout with police days after the bombings. His brother was convicted and sentenced to death.
(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)