Boston Marathon Bomber’s Friend Convicted on Federal Charges for Impeding Investigation

A former student at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, and friend of one of the two brothers accused of the Boston Marathon Bombings, was convicted on federal charges for impeding the FBI’s investigation on Monday, July 21st.

The federal jury found Azamat Tazhayakov, 20, guilty on federal charges of obstructing justice and conspiracy. The jury voted him unanimously guilty after prosecutors painted him as one of the conspirators in the terrorism plot that left 3 people dead and 260 people wounded.

Tazhayakov was one of three friends of the two Tsarnaev brothers, who hid some of the young men’s items, including a backpack full of explosives, to protect them after learning on the news that the two brothers were accused of devising the Boston Marathon Bombing.

The three suspects went to Tsarnaev’s room, and his roommate let them in. The roommate said that Tsarnaev had left a couple of hours earlier, so the three stayed and watched a movie. According to the complaint, it was during that time that they spotted a backpack filled with firecrackers.

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

Tazkayakov’s trial is the first of the trials lined up for Boston Marathon Bombing suspects.

“We looked over every single piece of information,” said juror Daniel Antonino, of Duxbury. “Everyone had their say back and forth, and we came to a very agreeable decision, plain and simple.”

Much of the jury’s deliberation and the federal charges centered around the backpack with empty fireworks, a container of Vaseline, and a thumb drive.

“The backpack was simply taken and discarded like they were getting rid of evidence,” Antonino said. “They threw it in trash, so that’s obstructing justice. The laptop was taken, we felt, as a valuable item. More, ‘Hey, he told us we could take whatever we wanted. We’re taking this because it’s worth $500, $600, $700,’ whatever a laptop’s worth.”

The federal charges focused primarily on Tazkayakov’s obstruction of justice, intentionally misleading investigators about his friend’s role in the Boston Marathon Bombings. Tazkayakov himself is not believed to have assisted in the terrorism plot.

The federal charges sentencing hearing will be in October. He faces up to five years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. He also had an expired student visa, and could not obtain a new one as he was no longer in school at the time of his arrest.

Prosecuting Federal Charges 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.