LSU Student Accused Of Threatening Sen. Clinton In Conversation With Student

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) _ A Louisiana State University student told another student he was planning a violent attack against U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, police said. <br/><br/>Richard Ryan Wargo, 19,

Friday, May 4th 2007, 5:40 pm

By: News On 6

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) _ A Louisiana State University student told another student he was planning a violent attack against U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, police said.

Richard Ryan Wargo, 19, of Shreveport, was ordered held on $1 million bond Friday. He was booked on counts of terrorizing, communicating false information of planned arson, and possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Clinton, a Democratic presidential candidate from New York, is scheduled to be in Baton Rouge on Saturday to speak at the National Conference of Black Mayors. Police said it was unclear whether the attack was planned for that visit.

LSU Police Chief Ricky Adams said Wargo asked another student if he wanted to commit arson, a ``terrorist act'' that he described as a ``national event.''

``He allegedly went on to say it was political and it involved Hillary Clinton,'' Adams said.

The classmate later learned Clinton had scheduled a Baton Rouge appearance. Police said the student reported Wargo to the university after a second conversation in which Wargo made another remark indicating he planned violence against Clinton.

That remark ``was something along the lines of, 'Have you ever heard of a dead president?''' Adams said.

Police arrested Wargo in a traffic stop Thursday night. Officers searched his dormitory room and found documents that made the classmate's accusations appear credible, Adams said. He declined to give details, but said officers also seized Wargo's computer and marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

A call to Wargo's family's home in Shreveport was not immediately returned.

U.S. Attorney David Dugas said the Secret Service is also investigating.

``If they believe a federal crime has been committed, they'll refer it to our office and we'll consider it,'' Dugas said.

Darrin Blackford, spokesman for the Secret Service, said the agency had no comment on the suspected threat or on security at Clinton's planned appearance. Clinton campaign spokesperson Mo Elleithee also had no comment.