Stephen Silva told the jury on Tuesday that he provided the Ruger handgun that the Tsarnaevs used to kill an MIT cop, carjack another man, and face off against the Watertown police following the Boston Marathon bombings.
Stephen Silva
MBTA Police / AP
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's childhood friend and pot smoking buddy Stephen Silva took the stand Tuesday to testify that he provided the Boston bomber with the p95 Ruger 9mm handgun used to kill Officer Sean Collier, carjack Dun Meng, and face-off against the police in gun fight in Watertown, Mass.
Silva, who was arrested in late 2013 for selling heroin to a confidential informant, has made a tentative deal with the government in exchange for his testimony against Tsarnaev. He told the court Tuesday that he is facing a mandatory 5-7 years and says a judge could reduce his sentence if he is "cooperative and helpful" in the Boston bombing case.
"I have not received any promises," Silva told the court.
Silva testified that he and Tsarnaev became close friends in grade school and graduated together from Cambridge Rindge and Latin high school in 2011.
In high school, the friends would hang out, smoke weed, drive around, drink alcohol and jump off of cliffs, Silva said. He said he gave Dzhokhar the nickname "Jizz."
After high school, Silva went to college for one year in Tampa, Florida. Instead of returning for his sophomore year, Silva moved into an apartment in Massachusetts with his twin brother, Steven, and a friend and began to develop his pot dealing business.
By fall 2012, Silva said he was making $1000 to $2000 a week dealing.
Tsaranev brothers engaged in a violent standoff with Watertown police on April 18, 2013.
USAMA
In October 2012, Silva's twin brother was robbed of two pounds of pot worth about $10,000 and the brothers decided they needed a gun for protection.
At the end of 2012, an opportunity presented itself. A friend who Silva referred to in court as "Howie" asked him to hold a Ruger pistol because his mom was snooping around his room.
Silva said he "stuck the gun away in his apartment" by hiding it in the ceiling.
In December 2012, Silva and an accomplice named "Nicolas" used the gun to rob a couple people during a drug deal in Cambridge. When Silva told Tsarnaev about the robbery, Tsarnaev laughed, Silva said.
Tsarnaev next saw Silva's gun at a New Year's Eve party later that month. "I was just being stupid, I wanted to show it off," Silva said.
from BuzzFeed - USNews http://ift.tt/18D1Y1F
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