Tsarnaev Friend Regretted Not Telling Cops He Knew Marathon Bomber
During the second day of the trial against Robel Phillipos, the friend of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev who is accused of lying to authorities, prosecutors read aloud Phillipos’ signed confession regretting that he did not identify Tsarnaev to police.
“In retrospect, I should have notified police once I knew Jahar was the bomber,’’ read Phillipos’ confession, taken in April 2013.
Prosecutors are using that confession in the case against Phillipos, 21, on two charges of lying to authorities. They argue that Phillipos lied about being in Tsarnaev’s room when two other friends removed evidence of the attack after the bombing.
On the first day of the trial, defense lawyers argued that Phillipos was “high out of his mind’’ on marijuana and does not remember going to Tsarnaev’s dorm room to watch two friends remove incriminating evidence. His statement to police was a coerced confession, Phillipos’ lawyers argued, because he was a scared 19-year-old intimdated by police
Prosecutors countered on Tuesday with two witnesses, Essex County Sheriff’s Deputy David Earle and Special Agent Dwight Schwader, who both said Phillipos made no mention of memory problems due to marijuana in their interviews with him.
Phillipos is the third friend of Tsarnaev to face trial on related charges. Azamat Tazhayakov was found guilty of obstruction of justice in July, and Dias Kadyrbayev pleaded guilty in August. Both are due to be sentenced later this fall.
Tazhayakov took the stand toward the end of proceedings on Tuesday as a government witness. His testimony will continue Wednesday morning.
If found guilty, Phillipos faces a maximum of 16 years in prison.
We compiled a Storify of the court room proceedings for full coverage.
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