Boston bombingThree friends of Dzhokhar arrested, charged with destroying evidence

Three college students have been arrested on suspicion that they helped Dzhokhar Tsarnaev destroy evidence which would have provided details about his and his brother’s preparations for the marathon bombing. One of the three then lied to police when asked about their actions.

The three are likely to face charges of conspiracy to obstruct justice. One of three will also be charged with lying to federal investigators.

ABC News reports that two of those taken into custody, 19-year-olds Dias Kadyrbayev and Azamat Tazhayakov – both citizens of Kazakhstan, and both are in the United States on student visas – have appeared in court minutes ago in Boston. Prosecutors told the court that the two destroyed or concealed a laptop computer and a backpack containing fireworks belonging to Dzhokhar.

The third suspect, 19-year-old Robel Phillipos, who is a U.S. citizen, has been charged with lying to federal law enforcement officers, and also appeared in court this afternoon.

Court documents show that the three suspects went to Dzhokhar’s dormitory room on Thursday, 18 April, after they saw on TV the images of Dzhokhar and his brother.

Kadyrbayev texted Dzhokhar, saying that Dzhokhar looked like the guy being shown by the FBI on television.

“LOL,” replied Dzhokhar. Court documents said that Kadyrbayev took that and other texts like “you better not text me” to be jokes.

A minute later, Dzhokhar texted: “come to my room and take whatever you want.”

Later in the evening the three noticed fireworks with missing powder in Dzhokhar’s room that Kadyrbayev allegedly “knew” his friend was involved with the deadly attack.

Prosecutors say that Kadyrbayev decided to take the backpack “to help his friend [Dzhokhar] avoid trouble” and took the laptop because he did not want Dzhokhar’s roommate to think he was behaving suspiciously. The court documents say that, later, Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov decided together to throw the backpack and fireworks in the trash.

Prosecutors said Phillipos initially told federal investigators he did not remember going to Dzhokhar’s room and then said the three friends went there but did not go in. Only in his fourth interview with investigators Phillipos “eventually confessed that he had lied to the agents,” the court documents say.

CNN reports that according to the FBI, about a month before the marathon attack, Tsarnaev had told Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov “that he knew how to make a bomb.” Kadyrbayev also told investigators that Tsarnaev “appeared to have given himself a short haircut” two days after the bombings.

The Department of Justice says Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov face up to five years in prison and Phillipos faces a maximum sentence of up to eight years if convicted, the DOJ said.