A Guide to Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s Friends Facing Charges: Phillipos, Silva, Tazhayakov, and Kadyrbayev
Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev will soon face trial (pending yet another delay) to face 30 counts alleging that he and his brother set off the bombs that killed three people and injured 260 more. In the meantime, though, an assortment of his former friends have appeared in court on a range of charges.
The names and biographies of those friends can get complicated, so here’s a who’s who of his close friends facing charges, which range from obstruction of justice to conspiracy to heroin trafficking. Four people in particular have appeared in court on related cases: Robel Phillipos, Azamat Tazhayakov, Dias Kadyrbayev, and Stephen Silva.
Robel Phillipos.
Name: Robel Phillipos
Who is he? Phillipos is a former UMass Dartmouth student. He was not enrolled at the university at the time of the marathon bombing, but would still hang out with Tsarnaev, Tazhayakov, and Kadyrbayev. He and Tsarnaev knew each other well before their time at UMass. Both graduated from Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School in 2011.
Phillipos is an American citizen who was born in Cambridge and raised by his mother, an Ethiopian immigrant who worked as a domestic violence specialist.
Why is he in trouble with the law? Prosecutors allege Phillipos was in Tsarnaev’s dorm room on April 18, 2013. That’s when investigators claim two other friends, Tazhayakov and Kadyrbayev removed Tsarnaev’s backpack, laptop, fireworks, and other materials from the room. After several investigator interviews, Phillipos signed a confession stating that he was there at the apartment and witnessed the two friends take the backpack away, contradicting earlier statements he made to investigators.
Phillipos was charged with two counts of lying to authorities. Prosecutors believe he lied to investigators about both where he was and what he saw that day. Phillipos’ defense team argued in court that he was “high out of his mind’’ on marijuana and has no memory of the dorm room visit. They allege that investigators coerced the confession from Phillipos.
What’s his current legal status? As of October 14, 2014, Phillipos is in court facing two charges of lying to authorities. He faces a maximum of 16 years in prison if convicted.
Azamat Tazhayakov.
Name: Azamat Tazhayakov
Who is he? Tazhayakov is a citizen of Kazakhstan and the son of oil executive Amir Ismagulov. He came to the US on a student visa in 2011 to attend UMass Dartmouth. Tazhayakov was part of a group of friends including Tsarnaev, Phillipos, and Kadyrbayev, and he and Kadyrbayev were roommates.
Why is he in trouble with the law? Prosecutors argued that Tazhayakov helped cover up potential evidence in the bombing investigation, saying he and Kadyrbayev took a backpack of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s things, including a laptop, fireworks, and other potential evidence, from Tsarnaev’s room on the night of April 18, 2013. Tazhayakov’s defense team contended that he was not part of a conspiracy to obstruct the investigation. They attempted to put the blame for the removal of Tsarnaev’s things on Kadyrbayev.
What’s his current legal status? Tazhayakov was found guilty of obstruction of justice and conspiracy in July and faces a maximum of 25 years in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced October 16. Tazhayakov testified in Robel Phillipos’ trial in an attempt to get reduced prison time, and his lawyer said he would be willing to testify in Tsarnaev’s trial as well.
Azamat Tazhayakov, Dias Kadyrbayev, and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (from left to right).
Name: Dias Kadyrbayev
Who is he? Kadyrbayev is a Kazakhstani citizen who was on a student visa to attend UMass Dartmouth. He was roommates with Azamat Tazhayakov and friends with Robel Phillipos and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
Why is he in trouble with the law? Investigators say that Kadyrbayev and Tsarnaev exchanged texts a few days after the marathon bombings, in which Tsarnaev told him to go to his dorm room and “take what’s there.’’ Investigators argued that Kadyrbayev then went to Tsarnaev’s dorm room. That’s when authorities believe he took a backpack with some of Tsarnaev’s things, including a laptop and fireworks, from the room. According to prosecutors, Kadyrbayev then put that backpack into a trash bag and threw it in a dumpster near his apartment. Investigators later found the backpack at a nearby landfill. The laptop was recovered from the room Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov shared.
What’s his current legal status? Kadyrbayev pleaded guilty to conspiracy and obstruction of justice in August. That came a month after a jury found Tazhayakov guilty of the same charges. If the plea deal is accepted, Kadyrbayev will receive no more than seven years in prison. He is expected to be sentenced in November.
Stephen Silva.
Name: Stephen Silva
Who is he? Silva is a former UMass Boston student who attended high school with Dzhokhar Tsarnaev at Cambridge Rindge. “I smoke a lot of weed every day because my best friend was the bomber,’’ Silva allegedly told police in November 2013, according to records.
Why is he in trouble with the law? In July, Silva was arrested and charged with heroin trafficking and possession of a handgun with a defaced serial number. The indictment against Silva alleges that he owned a Ruger P95 9mm pistol in February 2013 with a defaced serial number. Authorities believe that is the same pistol the Tsarnaevs used to allegedly kill MIT police officer Sean Collier. The pistol was recovered in Watertown after a shootout between the Tsarnaevs and Boston police, during which Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed.
What’s his current legal status? Silva has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him. His defense attorney contends that coverage of the marathon bombings will keep Silva from getting a fair trial.
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