Attorneys for Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev are denying as “false” and “preposterous” an allegation that defense team members posed as FBI employees while investigating the case in Russia.

Prosecutors said the allegation came from the Russian government, which expelled the investigators. It was included in a court filing Friday opposing a defense request to delay Tsarnaev’s Nov. 3 trial.

The defense attorneys responded Monday that “at no time have members of the defense team misrepresented themselves or lied about their work.” They said that by repeating “reckless allegations” prosecutors are making it more difficult for them to prepare for a fair trial.

Tsarnaev has pleaded not guilty in the 2013 bombings that killed three people and injured about 260 others. He could face the death penalty.

(AP)