SUSPECT
IN BOSTON MARATHON ATTACK CHARGED WITH USING
A WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION
WASHINGTON – Attorney General
Eric Holder announced today 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 and injuries to more than 200
people.
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, upon conviction, of
death or imprisonment for life or any term of years. Tsarnaev had his initial
court appearance today from his hospital room.
“Although our investigation is
ongoing, today’s charges bring a successful end to a tragic week for the city of
Boston, and for our country,” said Attorney General Eric Holder. “Our
thoughts and prayers remain with each of the bombing victims and brave law
enforcement professionals who lost their lives or suffered serious injuries as
a result of this week’s senseless violence. Thanks to the valor of state
and local police, the dedication of federal law enforcement and intelligence
officials, and the vigilance of members of the public, we’ve once again shown
that those who target innocent Americans and attempt to terrorize our cities
will not escape from justice. We will hold those who are responsible
for these heinous acts accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
“The events of the past week underscore in stark
terms the need for continued vigilance against terrorist threats both at home
and abroad,” said John Carlin, Acting Assistant Attorney General for National
Security. “Friday’s arrest and today’s
charges demonstrate what can be achieved by a collaborative, round-the clock
response involving law enforcement officers, intelligence professionals,
prosecutors and the general public.”
“Today’s charges are the culmination of
extraordinary law enforcement coordination and the tireless efforts of so many,
including ordinary citizens who became heroes as they responded to the call for
help in the hours and days following the Marathon tragedy,” said Carmen Ortiz,
U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts. “The impact of these crimes has been
far-reaching, affecting a worldwide community that is looking for peace and
justice. We hope that this prosecution
will bring some small measure of comfort both to the public at large and to the
victims and their families that justice will be served. While we will not be able to comment on any
possible communications between the suspect and law enforcement at this time,
as a general rule, the government will always seek to elicit all the actionable
intelligence and information we can from terrorist suspects taken into our
custody.”
“The
events of this week have moved at a breakneck pace. Yet the one consistent element of this
investigation has been the collective efforts of our law enforcement and
intelligence partners, working side-by-side, day and night, to identify and
find those responsible for this attack, while keeping the public safe,” said Rick
DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “We are
grateful to the American people for their assistance; we would not be
successful without their trust and support.
We will continue to investigate this matter with the greatest diligence
and expediency, and we will do all that we can to protect those we serve.”
“Friday night’s capture of the suspect brought
immediate relief to a community from a public safety viewpoint. However, much
work remains and many questions require answers. Today’s charges represent
another step on the long road toward justice for the victims of these crimes.
On behalf of the citizens of this great Commonwealth, the Massachusetts State
Police will continue to work diligently with our federal and local partners to
bring this defendant to justice for his alleged acts and ensure the public’s
safety,” said Colonel Timothy P. Alben, Superintendent of the Massachusetts
State Police.
“Finding the alleged perpetrators of this savage
act of terrorism four days after the attack on the City of Boston was a
herculean effort and shows the true cooperation and dedication of the law
enforcement community,” said Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis. “We were
relentless in our pursuit of the suspects.
The arrest of Tsarnaev and today’s charges should send a clear message
to those who look to do us harm, the entire law enforcement community will go
after you, find you and bring you to justice.”
This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Boston
Division, the Boston Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police, and
member agencies of the Boston Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is comprised of
more than 30 federal, state and local enforcement agencies, including the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Immigration and
Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Marshals Service,
U.S. Secret Service, the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority and others. In addition, the Watertown Police Department,
the Cambridge Police Department, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT) Police Department, the Boston Fire Department, the National Guard and
police, fire and emergency responders from across Massachusetts and New England
played critical roles in the investigation and response.
This case is
being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Weinreb and Aloke
Chakravarty from the Anti-Terrorism and National Security Unit of the U.S.
Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, with assistance from the
Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security
Division.
