AKIPRESS.COM - A college friend of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was sentenced Tuesday to six years in prison after he apologized to the victims and their families for not calling police when he recognized photos of Tsarnaev as a suspect.

Dias Kadyrbayev, 21, from Kazakhstan, pleaded guilty last year to obstruction of justice and conspiracy charges for removing items from Tsarnaev's dorm room after recognizing his friend in photos released by the FBI days after the bombing.

Prosecutors say Kadyrbayev exchanged text messages with Tsarnaev, then went to his room with two other friends. There, he and another man agreed to remove Tsarnaev's computer and a backpack containing fireworks that had been partially emptied of their explosive powder. Kadyrbayev also threw the backpack into a garbage dumpster.

“The concealment and destruction of evidence can have profound effects on the course of an investigation,” said U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz. “Mr. Kadyrbayev knowingly concealed and disposed of critical evidence relating to the Boston Marathon bombing. He now faces the consequences of those actions – six years in federal prison, with deportation to follow.”

His lawyer had sought a three-year sentence. He will get credit for the 26 months he's been in custody and will be deported to his native Kazakhstan when his prison term is up.

Two other friends of Tsarnaev have been found guilty of charges connected to the terrorism investigation. 21-year-old Azamat Tazhayakov was found guilty of conspiring to obstruct justice with intent to impede the Boston Marathon bombing investigation in July of 2014. In addition, 21-year-old Robel Phillipos was found guilty in October of 2014 on two counts of making false statements to law enforcement in a terrorism investigation. They both are scheduled to be sentenced on June 5.

Three people were killed and more than 260 were injured in the bombing April 15, 2013, near the marathon's finish line. Tsarnaev was sentenced to death for the attacks, reports NECN.