Dias Kadyrbayev, friend of Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, pleaded guilty today for removing incriminating evidence from Tsarnaev's dorm room.
Kadyrbayev, a 20-year-old Kazakh national, lied to investigators when being questioned, and removed Tsarnaev's backpack with fireworks that had been emptied of their explosive powder, as well as his laptop so that they would not be found, reports The Associated Press.
Tsarnaev was charged in 2013 for placing twin bombs near the finish line at the Boston Marathon, killing three and injuring 260, according to AP.
Kadyrbayev pleaded guilty two weeks before he was scheduled to go on trial, where he would face up to 25 years in prison on charges of conspiracy and obstruction of justice if found guilty. Another friend and co-conspirator, Azamat Tazhayakov, recently went on trial for the same allegations and was found guilty.
"Dias is a young man, he was barely 19 when this happened and he made a terrible choice, an error in judgment that he is paying for dearly," Robert Stahl, Kadyrbayev's attorney, told reporters outside the courthouse, reports Reuters.
The court issued a plea agreement to Kadyrbayev after he pled guilty that would sentence him to seven years in prison and deport him to Kazakhstan. He has until his November court date to accept the agreement, as USA Today reports.
