Boston Marathon Bombing Update: Two friends of suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev indicted on obstruction charges
(CBS) BOSTON - Two friends of Boston marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev have been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly interfering with the investigation, CBS Boston reports.
PICTURES: Boston bombing victims
PICTURES: Boston Marathon bombing suspects
Dias Kadyrbayev and Azamat Tazhayakov, both 19 and nationals of Kazakhstan, were charged Thursday with conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstructing justice with the intent to impede the Boston Marathon bombing probe.
The indictment reportedly accused the two men of going into Tsarnaev's dorm room at Southeastern Massachusetts University after seeing his photo on the news and removing several items, including Tsarnaev's laptop computer and a backpack containing fireworks.
Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov allegedly brought the items back to their apartment in New Bedford, Mass. before disposing of them in a dumpster, the station reports.
The two men could face up to 20 years in prison on the obstruction of justice charge and up to five years in prison on the conspiracy charge.
The April 15 attack at the Boston Marathon killed three people and wounded more than 260. Authorities say Tsarnaev orchestrated the attack along with his older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who died following a shootout with police three days after the bombing.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, was arrested on April 19 when he was found hiding in a boat in a suburban Boston backyard. He was initially charged in the hospital, where he was recovering from wounds suffered in a police shootout. He faces 30 charges, including using a weapon of mass destruction to kill, and has pleaded not guilty.
Martin Richard, 8; Krystle Marie Campbell, 29; and Lingzi Lu, 23 - were killed by the bombs, which were improvised from pressure cookers. Authorities say the Tsarnaevs also killed Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer Sean Collier days later while they were on the run.
Complete coverage of the Boston Marathon bombings on Crimesider
