Marathon Bombing Suspect’s Friend To Be Released [VIDEO]

A magistrate judge on Monday agreed to release a friend of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev from federal custody while he awaits trial for allegedly lying to federal investigators probing the bombings.

Robel Phillipos, 19, was charged last week with lying to investigators about visiting Tsarnaev's college dorm room after the bombings. The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth student faces a maximum of eight years in prison if convicted.

Prosecutors initially asked that Phillipos be held while he awaits trial, arguing that he poses a serious flight risk. But both sides said in the court motion filed Monday they agreed that Phillipos should be released on $100,000 bond, be confined to home and wear an electronic monitoring bracelet.

Assistant U.S .Attorney John Capin said documents filed by Phillipos' defense attorneys, including many affidavits showing support from family and friends, might be viewed as indirectly questioning the government's case against Phillipos.

"The government stands by its allegations," Capin said.

Magistrate Judge Marianne Bowler agreed to the strict house arrest during a hearing Monday afternoon. She told Phillipos he was allowed to leave the house only for meetings with his lawyers or true emergencies.

A huge crowd of supports, including

Phillipos' relatives, friends and grade-school principal, showed up to the courthouse for the detention hearing. It was not immediately clear when Phillipos would be released.

Worcester man wants to send Tsarnaev body to Russia

A Massachusetts community activist plans to start a campaign to raise money to send the body of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev to Russia for burial.

Tsarnaev's body is at a Worcester funeral home, but funeral director Peter Stefan says he hasn't found a cemetery in Massachusetts willing to accept the remains.

Cambridge, where the Tsarnaev family lived, says it does not want the body.

William Breault of Worcester is setting up a fund to send the body back home. Breault says it costs from $3,000 to $7,000 to ship a body to Russia, where Tsarnaev's parents live. He says he will kick start the campaign with a $500 donation.

But Stefan, the funeral director, says he doesn't think Russia will take the body. He says he's looking outside of Massachusetts.

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