Friend of Tsarnaev brothers to plead guilty to destroying evidence

A friend of the brothers accused in the Boston Marathon bombing plans to plead guilty to destroying evidence, federal officials confirmed Monday.

Khairullozhon Matanov’s attorneys have joined federal prosecutors in asking U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young for a Rule 11 hearing to enter a plea, officials said. The court has not set a date for the hearing, officials said.

Matanov is charged with lying to investigators about his contacts with Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the brothers who are accused of setting off bombs near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013. Three people were killed and more than 260 were injured.

Matanov is also accused of deleting computer files. He is not accused of playing any role in the bombings.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev died in a shootout with police several days after the attack.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, now 21, was captured and faces a federal trial in Boston, where jury selection has begun. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.