(CN) - A man accused of removing evidence from the accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's dorm room pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice charges.
Dias Kadyrbayev, who came to the U.S. from Kazakhstan on a student visa in 2011, originally pleaded not guilty to charges for removing a laptop computer and backpack containing fireworks from Tsarnaev's room at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth days after the bombing that killed three and injured more than 260 near the finish line of the 2013 marathon.
Under the plea agreement announced Thursday, federal prosecutors said they would ask for no more than seven years in prison. Kadyrbayev has agreed not to fight deportation after he completes his prison sentence.
Prosecutors said the items were removed hours after Kadyrbayev received a text message from Tsarneav saying his friend should go to the room and "take what's there."
Kadyrbayev's plea comes a month after another Tsarnaev friend, Azamat Tazhayakov, was found guilty of obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice charges in connection with the removal of items from Tsarnaev's room. Kadyrbayev was scheduled to go on trial for his role in their removal on September 8.
The backpack and fireworks were later recovered in a New Bedford, Mass. Landfill.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has pleaded not guilty to 30 federal charges and faces the possibility of the death penalty if convicted. His trial is scheduled to begin in November. Dzhokhar's brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed in a shootout with police several days after the bombings.
Subscribe to Closing Arguments
Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.
Additional Reads
-
Alaska, Hawaiian Airlines April 17, 2024 -
-
Contributor-Test-Post-2024-04-12 April 12, 2024 -
