Two former UMass-Dartmouth students with ties to Boston Marathon terror bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev were indicted today on obstruction of justice charges for allegedly trying to impede the Boston Marathon terror bombing investigation.
Kazakhstan nationals Dias Kadyrbayev, 19, and Azamat Tazhayakov, 19, are accused of helping to get rid of incriminating evidence that Tsarnaev left behind in his college dorm room on April 18, three days after the terror bombing killed three and wounded 260 in downtown Boston.
The two face charges of conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstruction of justice.
According to US Attorney Carmen Ortiz’s office, the two acted at the behest of Tsarnaev, who sent them a text message urging them to head to his dorm “room and take what’s there.’’ The two students allegedly collected Tsarnaev’s laptop, fireworks, and a backpack and took them to their apartment in New Bedford.
Later that night Kadyrbayev, with what prosecutors called Tazhayakov’s “knowledge and agreement,’’ put the items in a garbage bag and put them in a dumpster at the apartment. They were later recovered by law enforcement after several days of searching a New Bedford dump.
The two were already in custody, facing a May 1 criminal complaint charging them only with conspiracy to obstruct justice.
Supporters have described what they did as the innocent act of devoted friends.
In the statement announcing the indictment today, prosecutors referred to a third person, whom they did not identify by name.
Robel Phillipos was a third friend of Tsarnaev who has been accused of lying to FBI agents investigating the disposal of evidence. Phillipos has not been indicted. His attorney, Derege B. Demissie, filed paperwork today saying negotiations to resolve Phillipos’s case have been ongoing with Ortiz’s office.
Tsarnaev, 20, and his brother, Tamerlan, allegedly set off two bombs near the finish line of the Boston Marathon April 15, killing three people and wounding more than 260. Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, was shot and killed by police later that week, and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was taken into custody following a massive manhunt that shut down greater Boston. The two brothers are also accused of killing an MIT police officer.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is currently being held without bail and is facing multiple federal charges, including several that could bring the death penalty.
John R. Ellement can be reached at ellement@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @JREbosglobe.
