A U.S. District Court judge agreed to let federal prosecutors use convicted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's $1,400 COVID-19 stimulus payment, as well as other money held in his inmate trust account, to help pay the millions of dollars he was ordered to pay his victims, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.
In a filing Wednesday, the U.S. attorney's office in Boston asked a judge to order the federal Bureau of Prisons to turn the money over to the Clerk of the Court “as payment towards his outstanding criminal monetary penalties, including unpaid special assessment and restitution."
In addition to the stimulus payment, Tsarnaev, who's being held at a maximum security prison in Florence, Colorado, has received money from dozens of sources during his incarceration, including the federal public defender's office and regular payments from individuals living in Indiana, New Jersey and Maryland, according to the filing by acting U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts, Nathaniel Mendell.
As of Dec. 22, Tsarnaev had $3,885 and change in his account.
He was convicted in 2015 of 30 charges in connection with the 2013 bombing at the Boston Marathon finish line that killed three spectators and injured more than 260 others. In 2016 he was ordered to pay a $3,000 special assessment and more than $101 million in criminal restitution.
So far, Tsarnaev has paid a little more than $2,200 of that, all toward the assessment, according to the filing.
And although he has not paid a penny in restitution, Tsarnaev has used his inmate account to pay his siblings for items such as “gifts,” “support,” and “books,” according to the filing.
“The United States submits that the requested relief is reasonable and appropriate in this instance, especially in light of the defendant prioritizing payments to his siblings over the victims of his crimes,” prosecutors wrote.
An email seeking comment was left with Tsarnaev's attorneys.
Tsarnaev was originally sentenced to death, but the federal appeals court in Boston threw out the death sentence in July 2020 because, it said, the judge at his trial did not do enough to ensure the jury would not be biased against him. He is currently serving a life sentence.
The Biden administration has asked the Supreme Court to reinstate Tsarnaev's death sentence. The high court heard arguments in October but has yet to rule.
Dr. Felippe Marcondes, physician and research fellow at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, discusses why diabetes is more prevalent in minority communities and the technology being used to manage the disease.
Beatriz Acevedo, CEO of Suma Wealth, discusses the challenges in building financial habits among Hispanic youths and talks about how the company will be prioritizing funds from its recent $2 million raise.
If you haven't heard of the popular father and son dynamic duo now is your time to get into some cuteness overload. Jeff and Jordan of the "CrunchBros" can be found on TikTok and Youtube filling up their bellies with some tasty foods. To spice things up a bit the duo uses an ASMR with a mukbang approach which keeps you glued to the screen. TikTok content creators Jeff and Jordan of the "CrunchBros", joined Cheddar to discuss more.
One graphic designer has now captured the eye of several top brands for her unique and witty redesigns on iconic logos. TikTok content creator Emily Zugay joined Cheddar to discuss more and to share her redesign of Cheddar's own logo.
Many are celebrating Marvel's 'Eternals,' the most diverse film the company has ever made. CAPE has teamed up with other nonprofits to launch the #oneopen campaign, tied to the Eternals, which aims to support and amplify films led by diverse talent. Michelle Sugihara, the Executive Director of CAPE, joined Cheddar to discuss.
'The Good Liars' are Jason Selvig and Davram Stiefler, a comedy duo that's been shaking up the political world for years. They're out with a new mockumentary, 'The Supporters,' following the 2020 election. Jason Selvig & Davram Stiefler, Stunt Comedians and creators of 'The Good Liars' joined Cheddar News to discuss.
Yahoo has officially pulled out of China after its two-decade relationship with the mainland. This comes as a result of China's tech crackdown which has been impacting several sectors. As of November 1st, the country has also implemented one of the strictest data privacy laws. Tech Reporter at MarketWatch Jon Swartz joined Cheddar to discuss more.
A recent token called 'SQUID' which was developed after the Netflix series Squid Games has now cost several investors to lose their investments. According to Gizmodo, the developers have now walked off with $3.3 Million thanks to them not allowing buyers to sell any of their coins. The question now is: How can one protect themselves from being caught up in any crypto scams? The Host of the O Show Wendy O, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
A CDC advisory committee as unanimously voted to recommend the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine in children ages 5 to 11. Dr. Amesh Adalja, Infectious Disease Specialist and Senior Scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, joined Cheddar News to discuss.
On this episode of ChedHER: Author of 'JUMP: Dare to Do What Scares You in Business and Life,' breaks down the different types of career 'jumps' out there, and keys to making a career change a success; Head of Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs at JPMorgan Chase discusses how she's forging a path forward for the API community; CEO and Founder of Diversability explains how she's building up a global movement to rebrand disability through the power of community.
