Suspected Marathon Bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev and Family Used Welfare - East Idaho News
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Suspected Marathon Bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev and Family Used Welfare

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tamerlan?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1366817132453Johannes Hirns/Landov(BOSTON) — Alleged Boston Bombing mastermind Tamerlan Tsarnaev was receiving government welfare in the years before he and his brother turned on the state of Massachusetts and allegedly killed three people and injured more than 200, the state confirmed Wednesday.

Tsarnaev and his wife, Katherine Russell, both received welfare benefits for their family, which included their young daughter, until they stopped meeting income eligibility requirements in 2012, according to the Massachusetts Department of Health and Human Services.

They would not describe what kind of benefits or how much money the couple received.

The timeline coincides with the years Tamerlan Tsarnaev reportedly became more radicalized in his Muslim beliefs. He was interviewed by the FBI in 2011 after Russia flagged Tsarnaev for his potentially dangerous views.

Tsarnaev was killed in a gun battle with police last week while on the run after the bombings. His brother, Dzhokhar, was injured but captured alive on Friday, and remains in a Boston hospital. He is charged with using weapons of mass destruction.

Both Tsarnaev brothers had previously received government benefits when they came with their parents to the U.S. and received transitional assistance money, the HHS said.

Russell’s attorney told the Boston Herald that Katherine Russell was working up to 80 hours a week as a home health aide while Tsarnaev stayed at home.

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