LSU student held in threat against Sen. Clinton

Classmate reported he was asked to be part of ‘terrorist act’

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updated 6:49 p.m. ET May 4, 2007

BATON ROUGE, La. - A 19-year-old Louisiana State University student was being held Friday on $1 million bond, accused of planning an attack against Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

State District Judge Mike Erwin set bond after Richard Ryan Wargo of Shreveport was booked with terrorizing, communicating false information of planned arson and possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Clinton, D-N.Y., a presidential candidate, is scheduled to be in Baton Rouge on Saturday to speak at the National Conference of Black Mayors. Police said it was unclear whether Wargo was planning to carry out the alleged attack at that time.

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Darrin Blackford, spokesman for the Secret Service, said the agency had no comment on the alleged threat or on security at Clinton's planned appearance in Baton Rouge on Saturday.

Clinton campaign spokesperson Mo Elleithee also had no comment.

LSU Police Chief Ricky Adams said Wargo, who is listed on LSU's Web site as a physics major, asked another student if he wanted to join him in committing 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 allegedly made a second remark indicating he planned violence against Clinton.

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That remark "was something along the lines of, 'Have you ever heard of a dead president?'" Adams said. "That's language that should be of concern to anyone. Thank goodness the classmate reported it."

Police arrested Wargo in a traffic stop Thursday night. "He cooperated and did not resist," Adams said.

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Officers searched Wargo's 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.

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