Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (second from right) stands with Azamat Tazhayakov (second from left) and Dias Kadyrbayev (center) in Times Square.
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UPDATE: 2:10 PM EST
Authorities have identified the third suspect in custody as Robel Phillipos, a 19-year-old student from Cambridge. He has been charged with willfully making false material statements to federal authorities.
It is also being reported that the defendents destroyed Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s backpack and laptop, which they took from his dorm room. Azamat Tazhayakov and Dias Kadyrbayev have also admitted to removing fireworks and a jar of vaseline from Dzhokhar’s room.
Kadyrbayev also told authorities that when he texted Tsarnaev to say he looked like one of the bombing suspects that the FBI identified, he replied with an “lol.”
SOURCE: Boston Globe
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Today, there was a major development in the case of the Boston bombings. The Boston Police Dept. tweeted that three additional suspects have been arrested in relation to the Boston Marathon bombings. While there have been many twists and turns throughout the past week, there has been nothing as big as an arrest of other people who might have been involved. According to many news sources, the three who were arrested did not have prior knowledge of the bombings, but particpated in throwing some belongings of Dzhokhar’s and then lying to law enforcement afterwards. The three who have been arrested are all friends of Dzhokar’s and possible roommates.
AP has confirmed the identities of two of the men:
Linda Cristello, a Boston attorney who represented Azamat Tazhayakov and Dias Kadyrbayev in immigration court Wednesday morning, confirmed her clients now face separate federal charges and have an afternoon court appearance related to the bombing case.
The two have been held in jail for more than a week on allegations that they violated their student visas while attending the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth with Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
The identity of the third suspect wasn’t immediately released.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Dias Kadyrbayev (source: VK)
CBS Boston reports:
Two will be charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice and making false statements. They are not U.S. citizens.
According to WBZ-TV’s Karen Anderson, their names are Azamat Tazhayakov and Dias Kadyrbayev. Both are originally from Kazakhstan and attended the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth with Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
The third suspect, according to CBS News, is an American citizen and he will be charged with making false statements.
Sources told CBS News senior correspondent John Miller that investigators arrested the three for harboring or aiding Tsarnaev after the fact. These will be federal charges.
The three were not arrested in the city of Boston, but nearby, according to Miller. This is possibly connected to the house raided in New Bedford on the Friday after the bombing.
According to CBS News correspondent Bob Orr, the charges are under seal, but they are related to incidents after the bombings and interfering with investigators.
Orr said, at this point in the probe, there is no evidence of Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev having direct help before the bombings.
They have been held in a county jail for more than a week on allegations that they violated their student visas while attending UMass-Dartmouth with Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
The marathon attack was not mentioned in court and their cases were continued.
This story is developing.
