Bridge-Collapse Imposter Accused Again

Tuesday, November 6th 2007, 7:05 am

By: News On 6

MUSKOGEE, Okla. (AP) -- A man convicted of falsely posing as an Army captain after a deadly Oklahoma bridge collapse now is accused of posing as a military official and calling a Russian embassy.

A warrant was issued last week for the arrest of William James Clark, with authorities alleging he violated his probation as a result of the latest plot.

In the aftermath of the May 2002 collapse of the Interstate 40 bridge over the Arkansas River near Webbers Falls, which killed 14 people, local officials said Clark spent 2 1/2 days posing as an Army officer before disappearing.

Clark later received a 70-month federal prison sentence in the case.

Clark now is accused of calling Russia's embassy in the U.S. on October 25th and claiming to be part of a covert military operation to assassinate Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In an affidavit, an FBI agent said Clark acknowledged developing the plot in his head, but that Clark believed it to be genuine when he called the embassy.

Clark's attorney says no violation of law was committed.