BOSTON (AP) – A college friend of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (joh-HAHR’ tsahr-NEYE’-ehv) plans to plead guilty to impeding the investigation into the attack.
Dias Kadyrbayev (DY’-us kah-dur-BY’-ehv) is accused of removing a backpack containing emptied-out fireworks from Tsarnaev’s dorm room after realizing he was a suspect in the 2013 attack with his brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev.
Prosecutors said Kadyrbayev and another friend, Azamat Tazhayakov, (AZ’-maht tuh-ZAY’-uh-kahv) decided to take the items from Tsarnaev’s room at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth several days after two bombs exploded near the finish line. The explosions killed three people and injured more than 260. Tazhayakov was convicted last month.
Kadyrbayev was scheduled to go on trial next month on obstruction of justice and conspiracy charges.
His lawyer says he intends to plead guilty during a hearing Thursday.