Tsarnaev Charged For Boston Marathon Bombings

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev

Tsarnaev facing life in a federal prison or the death penalty, if convicted for Boston Marathon bombings.

By H. Nelson Goodson

April 22, 2013

Boston, Mass. - On Monday, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced through a news release that Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, 19, a U.S. citizen and resident of Cambridge, Mass., has been charged with using a weapon of mass destruction against persons and property at the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013, resulting in the death of three people, Krystle Campbell, 29, of Arlington, Mass.; Martin Richard, 8, of Dorchester, Mass. and Lingzi Lu, 23, also known as Dorothy Lu, a Chinese national from Shenyang and injuries to more than 200 people, including 17 people who had amputations of their limbs.

The second bombing suspect, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, was shot multiple times by police on early Friday and was pronounced dead at a local hospital. He was born in Russia and became a U.S. permanent resident in 2007. Dzhokhar originally from Kyrgyzstan, a province from Russia became a U.S. citizen in 2012. Both brothers are considered Islamic extremists. 

In a criminal complaint unsealed today in U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Tsarnaev is specifically charged with one count of using and conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction (namely, an improvised explosive device or IED) against persons and property within the United States resulting in death, and one count of malicious destruction of property by means of an explosive device resulting in death. The statutory charges authorize a penalty of death or imprisonment for life or any term of years, if convicted. Tsarnaev had his initial court appearance on Monday from his hospital room.

Tsarnaev's federal criminal complaint (PDF) at link: http://is.gd/hIXcZf