Marathon bombing suspect's friends charged with obstruction

BOSTON, Aug. 8 (UPI) -- A federal grand jury Thursday charged two friends of Boston Marathon suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev with obstruction of justice and conspiracy.

Indicted were Dias Kadyrbayev and Azamat Tazhayakov, both 19-year-old natives of Kazakhstan who were living in New Bedford, Mass., on student visas, the U.S. attorney's office in Boston said. The two were originally charged with criminal contempt in May.

"Today's indictment alleges that on the evening of April 18, 2013, after the FBI posted photographs of the two men suspected of carrying out the Marathon bombings [later identified as brothers Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev], Kadyrbayev received a text message from Dzhokhar Tsarnaev suggesting that he go to Tsarnaev's "room and take what's there," a release said.

Thursday's indictment accuses Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov of removing several items from the dormitory room in a garbage bag, including Tsarnaev's laptop computer and a backpack containing fireworks, and throwing them in a trash can.

The two men could face a possible 20 years in prison if convicted on the obstruction charge and five years on the conspiracy charge, plus a $250,000 fine. They also could be deported to Kazakhstan.