A Kyrgyz friend of convicted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was sentenced to two and a half years in prison June 18 for obstructing the FBI's investigation into the attack, U.S. authorities said.
Khairullozhon Matanov pleaded guilty in March to deleting his internet search history, trying to dispose of cellphones, and lying about his meeting with the Tsarnaev brothers after the attack.
Less than an hour after the bombings on April 15, 2013, Manatov called Tsarnaev and his older brother, Tamerlan, and invited them for dinner.
When he later found out that the two brothers set off the bombs near the marathon finish line, Manatov deleted his internet search history and lied to police about his recent contacts with the suspects.
Authorities said that Manatov did not know about the brothers' plans, but his misstatements wasted investigators' time.
Three other Tsarnaev friends have recently received prison sentences ranging from three to six years for obstructing investigators.
Matanov will receive credit for the 13 months he has already spent in custody since his arrest in May 2014.
