Cab driver gets indicted over his friendship with accused Boston Marathon bomber

A cab driver from Quincy, Massachussetts has been indicted by a federal grand jury in relation to the Boston Marathon bombings, Bloomberg said. 23 year-old Khairullozhon Matanov have been charged for obstructing the investigation into the blasts.

According to the indictment, Matanov allegedly destroyed documents and have made false statements during the terrorism probe. In a statement today from US Attorney Carmen Ortiz for the District of Massachusetts, Matanov had intentionally deleted information from his computer and lied to investigators in the probe. Matanov was said to have struck a friendship with Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the slain brother of 20 year-old Dzokhar. The Tsarnaev brothers were said to have orchestrated the twin blasts in the famous Boston Marathon on April 15 last year.

The statement read, "(Matanov) is charged with one count of destroying, altering, and falsifying records, documents, and tangible objects in a federal investigation, specifically information on his computer, and three counts of making materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statements in a federal terrorism investigation."

Ortiz added in the statement that Matanov tried to conceal information that he had shared the suspects' philosophical justification for the extreme violence, which has caused the deaths of three individuals and injuries in over 200 people. Some of the injured individuals were reportedly spectators who have been watching some of the runners arriving at the finish line, and have lost limbs because of the bombings.

Ortiz, however, clarified in her statement that Matanov is not accused of participating with the Tsarnaev brothers in the twin bombings. He is expected to make a court appearance today in Boston, Bloomberg reported.

Dzokhar, on the other hand, is left to face multiple charges stemming from his role in the Boston Marathon bombing. The serious of the charges could get the 20 year-old a possible death sentence if he is convicted at a trial scheduled for November of this year. Bloomberg said Tamerlan has been killed in a shootout that transpired with police following a manhunt for the brothers.

Tags

Boston Marathon Bombings, Boston Marathon prosecution, US Attorney Carmen Ortiz for the District of Massachusetts, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev trial

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