Friend of Boston Marathon Bomber Gets More Than Three Years in Prison

A college friend of marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was sentenced Friday to three and a half years in prison after he tearfully apologized to the residents of Boston for impeding the investigation into the 2013 attack while authorities frantically searched for the suspects. Azamat Tazhayakov was convicted of conspiracy and obstruction of justice for removing Tsarnaev’s backpack from his dorm room. The backpack contained fireworks that had been emptied of their explosive powder. Prosecutors had recommended a four-year sentence for Tazhayakov. His lawyer asked the judge to sentence him to time served for the 26 months he’s already spent in custody.
Another college friend of Tsarnaev’s is due to be sentenced Friday afternoon.