Inmate discloses alleged bomb plot

Thursday, April 6th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- An inmate testifying at a sentencing hearing disclosed an alleged plot to bomb the Oklahoma City office of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

Freddie Clark, an inmate at the Diamondback prison in Watonga, said the plot was formed by a handful of other inmates. He identified John Lee Haney as one of the conspirators.

Haney, 47, of Duncan was sentenced Wednesday to 33 months in federal prison for unlawfully possessing machine guns.

Federal prosecutors presented Clark's testimony in an unsuccessful effort to persuade U.S. District Judge Tim Leonard to lengthen Haney's sentence. Haney denied participating in a bombing plot, allegedly a revenge plot for the 1993 federal raid on the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas.

"That's just an absolute lie," he said. "Some of his statements are absolute fabrications."

Haney told the judge he had no desire to murder anybody. Repeating statements he had made at trial, Haney said he had made the machine guns to test the constitutionality of federal gun laws.

"I don't know if the Constitution is still the supreme law of the land. ... I love my country," Haney said, choking back tears. "If the Constitution is not the supreme law of the land, please tell me so I can stop upholding it."