Boston Marathon bombing

== Other arrests, detentions, and prosecutions ==

=== People detained and released ===
On April 15, several people who were near the scene of the blast were taken into custody and questioned about the bombing, including a Saudi man whom police stopped as he was walking away from the explosion; they detained him when some of his responses made them uncomfortable.<ref name="AutoLC-120" /><ref name="AutoLC-121" /><ref name="Hunter" /><ref name="AutoLC-122" /> Law enforcement searched his residence in a Boston suburb, and the man was found to have no connection to the attack. An unnamed U.S. official said, "he was just at the wrong place at the wrong time".<ref name="Fox News1" /><ref name="CNN_FBI" /><ref name="AutoLC-123" />

On the night of April 18, two men who were riding in a taxi in the vicinity of the shootout were arrested and released shortly thereafter when police determined that they were not involved in the Marathon attacks.<ref name="AutoLC-124" /> Another man was arrested several blocks from the site of the shootout and was forced to [[Strip search|strip naked]] by police who feared that he might have concealed explosives. He was released that evening after a brief investigation determined that he was an innocent bystander.<ref name="AutoLC-125" /><ref name="AutoLC-126" />

=== Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's roommates ===

==== Personal backgrounds ====
Robel Phillipos (19) was a U.S. citizen of [[Ethiopian American|Ethiopian descent]] living in Cambridge who was arrested and faced with charges of knowingly [[making false statements]] to police.<ref name="businessinsider" /><ref name="USA.Friend">{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/01/boston-marathon-bombings-tsarnaev-phillipos/2127469/|title=Bomb suspect's friend Robel Phillipos: Who is he?|last=Winter|first=Michael|date=May 1, 2013|work=[[USA Today]] | access-date=January 2, 2015}}</ref> He graduated from high school in 2011 with Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.<ref name="Auto9P-6" />
Dias Kadyrbayev (19) and Azamat Tazhayakov (20) were natives of [[Kazakhstan]] living in the U.S.<ref name="AutoLC-127" /><ref name="AutoQU-10" /> They were Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's roommates in an off-campus housing complex in [[New Bedford, Massachusetts]], where Tsarnaev had sometimes stayed.<ref name="businessinsider" />

Phillipos, Kadyrbayev, Tazhayakov, and Tsarnaev entered the [[University of Massachusetts Dartmouth]] in the fall of 2011 and knew each other well. After seeing photos of Tsarnaev on television, they traveled to his dorm room where Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov retrieved a backpack and laptop belonging to Tsarnaev, while Phillipos acted as lookout. The backpack was discarded, but police recovered it and its contents in a nearby New Bedford landfill on April 26. During interviews, the men initially denied visiting the dorm room but later admitted their actions.<ref name="businessinsider" /><ref name="usatoday" />

==== Arrests and legal proceedings ====
Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov were arrested by police at the off-campus housing complex during the night of April 18–19. An unidentified girlfriend of one of the men was also arrested,<ref name="AutoLC-127" /><ref name="AutoQU-10" /> but all three were soon released.<ref name="businessinsider" />

Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov were re-arrested in [[New Bedford]] on April 20 and held on immigration-related violations. They appeared before a federal [[immigration judge]] on May 1 and were charged with overstaying their [[student visa]]s.<ref name="AutoQU-11" /><ref name="AutoLC-129" /><ref name="AutoLC-130" /> That same day, they were charged criminally with:

{{Blockquote |willfully conspir(ing) with each other to commit an offense against the United States... by knowingly destroying, concealing, and covering up objects belonging to Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, namely, a backpack containing fireworks and a laptop computer, with the intent to impede, obstruct, and influence the criminal investigation of the Marathon bombing.<ref name="AutoQU-12" /><ref name="AutoQU-13" />}}

Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov were indicted by a [[Grand juries in the United States|federal grand jury]] on August 8, 2013, on charges of [[conspiracy (crime)|conspiracy]] to [[Obstruction of justice|obstruct justice]] for helping Dzhokhar Tsarnaev dispose of a laptop computer, fireworks, and a backpack after the bombing. Each faced up to 25 years in prison and deportation if convicted.<ref>{{cite news|title=2 friends of Boston bombing suspect indicted|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/08/08/boston-marathon-bomber-friends-charged/2632191/|newspaper=USA Today|access-date=August 9, 2013|date=August 8, 2013}}</ref> Tazhayakov was convicted of obstruction of justice and conspiracy on July 21, 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.msn.com/crime-justice/marathon-suspects-friend-guilty-of-impeding-probe|title=News|work=msn.com|access-date=April 8, 2015}}{{Dead link|date=November 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

Kadyrbayev pleaded guilty to obstruction charges on August 22, 2014,<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's College Friend Pleads Guilty|url=http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/blog/2014/08/22/dias-kadyrbayev-dzhokhar-tsarnaevs-friend-pleads-guilty/|magazine=Boston Magazine|access-date=April 8, 2015|date=August 22, 2014}}</ref> but sentencing was delayed pending the [[U.S. Supreme Court]]'s ruling in ''[[Yates v. United States (2015)|Yates v. United States]]''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Tsarnaev friends' sentencing delayed|url=http://www.wcvb.com/news/tsarnaev-friends-sentencing-delayed/29595756|publisher=WCBV 5 (ABC)|access-date=April 8, 2015|date=November 7, 2014}}</ref> Kadyrbayev was sentenced to six years in prison in June 2015.<ref name="McMahoSargent">{{cite web|first1=Shannon|last1=McMahon|first2=Hilary|last2=Sargent|url=https://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2015/06/05/tsarnaev-friend-tazhayakov-sentenced-months-for-obstruction-justice/ZMJOlcDZZr0qRHqi251RYK/story.html|title=Tsarnaev friend Tazhayakov sentenced to 42 months for obstruction of justice|work=The Boston Globe|date=June 5, 2015}}</ref> He was deported to [[Kazakhstan]] in October 2018.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://time.com/5443092/dias-muratovich-kadyrbayev-deported-boston-bombings/|title=Friend Who Helped Boston Bomber Dispose of Evidence Deported to Kazakhstan|magazine=Time|language=en|access-date=September 12, 2019}}</ref>

Tazhayakov pleaded not guilty and went to trial, arguing that "Kadyrbayev was the mastermind behind destroying the evidence and that Tazhayakov only 'attempted obstruction'." Jurors returned a guilty verdict, however, and he was sentenced to 42 months ({{frac|3|1|2}} years) in prison in June 2015. [[U.S. District Judge]] [[Douglas Woodlock]] gave a lighter sentence to Tazhayakov than to Kadyrbayev, who was viewed as more culpable.<ref name="McMahoSargent" /> Tazhayakov was released in May 2016 and subsequently deported.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/05/16/tsarnaev-friend-released-from-prison/1WbAvRNlmSjPdhjDTUBc9K/story.html|title=Tsarnaev friend to be released from prison|last=Valencia|first=Milton|date=May 17, 2016|work=The Boston Globe|access-date=July 12, 2017}}</ref>

Phillipos was arrested and faced charges of knowingly [[making false statements]] to police.<ref name="businessinsider" /><ref name="USA.Friend" /> He was released on $100,000 bail (${{Inflation|US|100,000|2013|fmt=c}} in {{Inflation/year|US}} dollars) and placed under house confinement with an [[ankle monitor]].<ref name="Auto9P-6" /> He was convicted on October 28, 2014, on two charges of lying about being in Tsarnaev's dorm room. He later acknowledged that he was in the room while two friends removed a backpack containing potential evidence relating to the bombing.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/29/us/robel-phillipos-friend-of-boston-marathon-bombing-suspect-is-found-guilty.html | title=Robel Phillipos, Friend of Boston Marathon Bombing Suspect, Is Found Guilty | work=The New York Times | date=October 29, 2014 | access-date=October 28, 2014 | agency=Associated Press}}</ref>

Phillipos faced a maximum sentence of eight years' imprisonment on each count.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/29/us/robel-phillipos-friend-of-boston-marathon-bombing-suspect-is-found-guilty.html|title=Boston Bombings Suspect's Friend Convicted of Lying to F.B.I.|last=Williams|first=Timothy|date=October 28, 2014|work=The New York Times|access-date=January 2, 2015}}</ref> In June 2015, [[U.S. District Judge]] [[Douglas P. Woodlock]] sentenced him to three years in prison.<ref>{{cite web|first1=Patricia|last1=Wen|first2=Milton J.|last2=Valencia|first3=John R.|last3=Ellement|first4=Martin|last4=Finucane|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/06/05/third-tsarnaev-friend-sentenced-three-years/uX4aySZJrLpBZIBXo9142M/story.html|title=Robel Phillipos sentenced to three years in prison|work=The Boston Globe|date=June 5, 2015}}</ref> Phillipos filed an appeal, but his sentence was upheld in court on February 28, 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.necn.com/news/new-england/Marathon-Bombers-Friend-Robel-Phillipos-Files-Appeal-307148741.html|title=Marathon Bomber's Friend Robel Phillipos Files Appeal|work=NECN|date=June 12, 2015}}</ref>

Phillipos was released from prison in Philadelphia on February 26, 2018, and began serving a three-year probationary period.<ref>{{cite news |author=Staff Writer |url=http://6abc.com/pal-of-boston-marathon-bomber-released-from-philly-re-entry-management-program/3143119/ |title=Pal of Boston Marathon bomber released from Philly re-entry management program |work=[[WPVI-TV]] | publisher=[[Associated Press]] | date=February 26, 2018 |access-date=April 15, 2018 }}</ref>

=== Ibragim Todashev ===
{{Main|Ibragim Todashev}}
On May 22, the FBI interrogated Ibragim Todashev in Orlando, Florida, who was a Chechen from Boston. ''[[The New York Times]]'' quoted an unnamed law enforcement official as saying that Todashev had confessed to [[2011 Waltham triple murder|a triple homicide]], and had implicated Tsarnaev as well.<ref name="NYT0513">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/23/us/officer-involved-in-shooting-of-man-tied-to-tsarnaev.html|title=Deadly End to FBI Queries on Tsarnaev and a Triple Killing|work=The New York Times|last1=Schmidt|first1=Michael S.|last2=Rashbaum|first2=William K.|last3=Oppel|first3=Richard A. Jr.|date=May 22, 2013|access-date=May 22, 2013}}</ref>  During the interrogation, he was shot and killed by an FBI agent who claimed that Todashev attacked him.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2013/05/2013522143644212765.html |title=Man 'linked to Boston suspect' killed by FBI |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=October 4, 2011 |access-date=May 25, 2013}}</ref> Todashev's father claimed his son was innocent and that federal investigators were biased against Chechens and made up their case against him.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/05/23/18451049-father-of-slain-man-linked-to-boston-bombing-suspect-maintains-sons-innocence?lite=|title=Father of slain man linked to Boston bombing suspect maintains son's innocence|author=U.S. News|date=April 8, 2015|work=NBC News|access-date=April 8, 2015}}</ref>

=== Khairullozhon Matanov ===
{{See also|Carmen Ortiz#Boston Marathon bombings}}
Matanov was originally from [[Kyrgyzstan]]. He came to the U.S. in 2010 on a [[student visa]], and later claimed [[Asylum in the United States|asylum]]. He attended [[Quincy College]] for two years before dropping out to become a taxicab driver. He was living in [[Quincy, Massachusetts]], at the time of his arrest, and was a friend of Tamerlan Tsarnaev.<ref name="LySentenceJune" />

A federal indictment was unsealed against Khairullozhon Matanov on May 30, 2014, charging him 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". Matanov bought dinner for the two Tsarnaev brothers 40 minutes after the bombing.  After the Tsarnaev brothers' photos were released to the public, Matanov viewed the photos on the CNN and FBI websites before attempting to reach Dzhokhar, and then tried to give away his cell phone and delete hundreds of documents from his computer. Prosecutors said that Matanov attempted to mislead investigators about the nature of his relationship with the brothers and to conceal that he shared their philosophy of violence.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/30/justice/boston-marathon-bombings-charges/|title=Massachusetts man charged with obstructing Boston bombings probe|first1=Jason|last1=Hanna|first2=Mariano|last2=Castillo|date=May 30, 2014|work=CNN|access-date=April 8, 2015}}</ref><ref name="LySentenceJune">{{cite news|first=Laura|last=Ly|url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/18/us/tsarnaev-friend-sentence/|title=Friend of Boston marathon bombers gets 30-month sentence|work=CNN|date=June 18, 2015}}</ref>

In March 2015, Matanov pleaded guilty to all four counts.<ref name="LySentenceJune" /><ref name="ZalkiindMatanov">{{cite news|first=Susan|last=Zalkiind|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/03/26/the-fbi-is-trying-to-destroy-my-life.html|title=The FBI Is Trying to Destroy My Life|work=The Daily Beast|date=March 26, 2015}}</ref> In June 2015, he was sentenced to 30 months in prison.<ref name="LySentenceJune" />