Skip to main content

Text messages show marathon bombing suspect joking

By WTOP Staff

DENISE LAVOIE
AP Legal Affairs Writer

BOSTON (AP) — Text messages show Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev joking with a friend not to text him hours after the FBI released Tsarnaev’s photo as a suspect in the deadly attack.

Dias Kadyrbayev texted Tsarnaev shortly after the FBI publicly released photos of Tsarnaev and his brother as suspects in the deadly 2013 attack.

Tsarnaev responded that he had seen the news, then texted, “Better not text me my friend,” then “Lol.”

In another text, Tsarnaev told Kadyrbayev he could go to his room and “take what’s there” followed by a smiley face.

Some of the messages had been released previously, but a complete transcript of Kadyrbayev’s text messages in the days after the bombing was released by prosecutors Thursday.

Kadyrbayev and another friend, Azamat Tazhayakov, are accused of removing a backpack containing fireworks and a laptop from Tsarnaev’s dorm room at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth several days after the bombings. A third friend, Robel Phillipos, is accused of lying to investigators.

None of the men are accused of participating in the bombing or knowing about it ahead of time.

Tazhayakov and Phillipos declined to testify this week during a hearing over statements they made under questioning by federal agents. U.S. District Court Judge Douglas Woodlock said Thursday he would not throw out their statements.

Kadyrbayev had been expected to testify Friday, but Woodlock said that will be postponed until after testimony from an expert witness.

The judge did not rule on Kadyrbayev’s request to suppress statements he made to investigators; his suppression hearing is expected to resume in two weeks.

Prosecutors and the men’s attorneys are arguing over whether the statements were voluntary and can be used as evidence in the upcoming trials. Prosecutors have said the men willingly spoke to federal agents after being told of their right to remain silent and to contact a lawyer. Kadyrbayev’s lawyer, Robert Stahl, has argued that his client, who is from Kazakhstan, did not have a complete command of the English language and did not fully understand the waiver forms he signed.

Also on Thursday, prosecutors disclosed that a lawyer claiming to represent the friends called the state police barracks while they were being questioned, but the men were never told about the call.

In the court filing, prosecutors said a state trooper took a call from a man who identified himself as an attorney and said he didn’t want the men answering any questions. The trooper said he told a federal agent about the call, a conversation Kadyrbayev’s lawyer argues should have trigged “numerous legal consequences” that mean the statements should be suppressed.

The filing included an email exchange from Wednesday between the trooper and one of the agents who questioned Kadyrbayev. According to the trooper, the lawyer said he was contacted by the state’s public defender agency and told to call the barracks.

The trooper said he “had no idea whether the caller was an actual attorney or some crackpot who was calling due to the media coverage.”

The trooper said he told the attorney that one of the agents had just told him that Kadyrbayev, who was being questioned at the time, had been “cooperative and had agreed to speak with them of his own free will.”

In their filing, prosecutors say agents involved in the questioning recalled being told of the conversation “after the defendants had made all the admissions they made that night regarding entering Tsarnaev’s dorm room and removing items.”

Two bombs placed near the finish line of the April 2013 marathon killed three people and injured more than 260. Tsarnaev has pleaded not guilty to 30 federal charges and is awaiting trial in November. His brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, also a suspect in the bombings, died following a shootout with police several days later.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote