Arrest Leads to Additional Federal Charges in Boston Marathon Bombing

A fourth acquaintance of the Boston Marathon Bomber has been arrested and indicted on federal charges of conspiracy and obstruction of justice, according to federal investigators.

In an indictment unsealed on Friday, May 30th, 23-year-old Khairullozhon Matanov of Quincy, Mass, was charged with one count of destroying, altering, and falsifying records, documents, and material objects in a federal investigation. Reportedly, Matanov deleted information from his computer about the Tsarnaev brothers after learning that Dzhokhar was the Boston Marathon bomber.

He has also been charged with three counts of making false, fictitious, and fraudulent statements in a federal terrorism investigation.

Matanov, a citizen of Kyrgyzstan, was allegedly friends with Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s older brother, Tamerlan, who was shot and killed by police during a foot chase.

According to a statement from U.S. District Attorney Carmen Ortiz, Matanov “took a series of steps to impede the FBI’s investigation into the extent of his friendship, contact, and communication with the suspected bombers, and the fact that he shared the suspected bombers’ philosophical justification for violence.”

Matanov has not been charged with knowing about the Boston Marathon bombings ahead of time, or with participating in them in any way. Still, if Matanov is convicted on all his federal charges, he faces up to 44 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Allegedly, Matanov had dinner with the brothers on the night of the Boston Marathon bombings, where the two hinted to Matanov about their participation in the incident. He was also in frequent cell phone contact with both of them during the manhunt.

After Tamerlan’s death, police questioned Matanov and he allegedly downplayed his relationship with the two brothers, and provided false and misleading information.

Last year, three of Tsarnaev’s friends were indicted on other federal charges for hiding evidence from federal investigators. Robel Phillipos, Dias Kadyrbayev, and Azamat Tazhayakov, all 19 years old, have been arrested and charged with federal crimes for obstruction of justice. The three reportedly concealed and destroyed evidence found in  Tsarnaev’s dorm room, including firecrackers, a laptop, and backpacks. Robel Phillipos is also charged with willfully making materially false statements to federal law enforcement officials during the terrorism investigation.

“The fireworks had been opened and emptied of powder. Kadyrbayev knew when he saw the empty fireworks that Tsarnaev was involved in the Marathon bombing,” the complaint stated.

Their trials will begin in June and September of this year, respectively.

Prosecuting Federal Charges and Crimes in South Carolina

If you or a loved one are the victims of a serious crime, including terrorism, kidnapping, or theft, it is important that you take the person who hurt you to court – whether it is a federal criminal trial, or personal injury lawsuit. The attorneys at the Strom Law Firm have been based in Columbia, SC for 16 years, and are also licensed to practice in Georgia and New York. We offer free, confidential consultations to discuss the facts of your case, so do not hesitate to contact us for help. 803.252.4800.