Dias Kadyrbayev, 19, along with his friend Azamat Tazhayakov, has been named as an alleged accomplice to Boston Marathon bombings suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Here’s what you need to know about Dias Kadyrbayev.
1. Dias Kadyrbayev Was a Student at UMass-Dartmouth
Kadyrbayev was in the U.S. on a student visa and was a classmate of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev but had been expelled from UMass for bad grades, reports the Boston Globe.
2. He Was Already in Custody
View Larger Map
Kadyrbayev is a native of Kazakhstan and was detained April 20, 2013, for immigration violations but had not been formally charged with anything related to the Boston Marathon bombings yet. A hearing is expected on Kadyrbayev’s immigration case on May 22.
3. Kadyrbayev Stands to be Charged With Conspiracy to Obstruct Justice
Kadyrbayev getting arrested
The official criminal complaint against Dias Kadyrbayev has been released. The offense reads:
Wilfully conspire with each other to commit an offense against the United States […] by knowingly destroying, concealing and covering up objects belonging to Dzokhar Tsarnaeve, namely, a backpack containing fireworks and a laptop computer, wih the intent to impede, obstruct, and influence the criminal investigation of the Marathon bombings.
You can view the document in its entirety here:
Complaint against Azamat Tazhayakov (and Dias Kadyrbayev
4. Kadyrbayev is the Owner of the “Terrorista” Car
Previously reported to belong to Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s girlfriend, it has now surfaced that the infamous “Terrorista” car may belong to Kadyrbayev and was just parked in front of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s girlfriend’s house. Above is a picture where he can be viewed driving the BMW.
5. FBI Says the Suspects Removed Evidence from Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s Dorm
NBC’s Pete Williams: FBI says three arrested removed things from Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s dorm room
— Jesse Rodriguez (@JesseRodriguez) May 1, 2013
The FBI believes the new suspects disposed of evidence, including a backpack full of empty firework tubes that had been removed of powder.
They are also charged with providing false statements to the FBI and police, reports the Daily Caller:
Tazhayakov and Kadyrbayev were reportedly arrested for making false statements to federal authorities about knowing the Tsarnaev brothers or their whereabouts, and also for obstruction of justice for disposing of items from the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth dorm room they shared with Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
The detailed account goes as follows, according to the criminal complaint:
1. Dias Kadyrbayev and Azamat Tazhayakov had been friends with Dzhokhar Tsarnaev since 2011
2. Two days after the bombing (April 17), Kadyrbayev met up with Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who had cut his hair himself
3. On April 18, the FBI release photos of the bombing suspects
4. Kadyrbayev then texted Dzhokhar Tsarnaev that he looked like one of the bombing suspects on television
3. A text message reply from Dzhokhar Tsarnaev read “lol”, which Kadyrbayev interpreted as a joke
4. On April 18, Kadyrbayev, Tazhayakov, and Robel Phillipos, an American, all met up in Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s dorm room after receiving a text from Dzhokhar Tsarnaev that read, “If you need something from my room, take it” and discovered a backpack full of emptied fireworks (no powder)
5. They all realized that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was one of the Boston bombers
6. Kadyrbayev decided to remove the backpack from the room to help protect his friend, and also decided to take Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s laptop
7. They then returned to Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov’s apartment to watch more news and confirm their suspicions, they then placed the backpack and laptop in the trash and threw it away
8. Kadyrbayev, Tazhayakov, Phillipos were then interviewed by the FBI, which they denied any wrongdoing or removing anything from Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s dorm room
9. On April 26, Phillipos finally admitted that items had been removed from Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s dorm room by Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov
10. On May 1, charges were filed