WILBURTON, Okla. (KFOR/ McAlester News-Capital) – A former instructor at an Oklahoma college is facing charges following a disturbing discovery at his home, according to court documents.

It all began on Aug. 31 as employees with Eastern Oklahoma State College were conducting safety inspections of all EOSC student and resident apartments.

According to the probable cause affidavit, they arrived at the apartment of 44-year-old Bryan Denny, an EOSC instructor and CLEET certified EOSC Police Department investigator.

When no one answered the door, the employees used a master key to complete the safety check.

At that point, they told investigators that Denny came out of the bedroom and met them in the kitchen. When hearing about the inspection, they say Denny’s demeanor changed and he became nervous.

The affidavit states that Denny retrieved a box from the living room and “an item described as a ‘marijuana rolling tray'” and quickly placed them into a cabinet.

The employees say there was a strong odor of marijuana in the apartment, so they called campus police.

After obtaining a search warrant, police officers reportedly found marijuana, four Ziplock bags containing a white powdery substance that tested positive for cocaine, three firearms, and a bottle containing 54 empty pharmaceutical capsules.

At one point, an officer opened a hard plastic carrying case and found a human jawbone with five decayed teeth.

When asked about the remains, Denny refused to speak with investigators.

Denny has been charged in the District Court of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma with distribution of a controlled dangerous substance, unlawful removal of a dead body, possession of marijuana, and possession of a firearm while committing a felony.

A representative for EOSC told The McAlester News-Capital that Denny is no longer employed as a criminal justice instructor at the professor.

Wagner & Lynch, a law firm representing Denny, say Denny was a tenured professor at Eastern Oklahoma State College, was a CLEET Academy director for 13 years, and a police officer for 17 years.

“Mr. Denny is the target of a retaliation campaign by former friends and members of law enforcement and absolutely denies the allegations against him. The Choctaw Nation has decided to join in this campaign to destroy a good man’s reputation by filing charges that they know are unprovable. This is especially true of the charge in regard to human remains. Mr. Denny was given an artifact that rested next to another artifact, an arrowhead, that had been passed down to him by a family member. These artifacts were kept put away and not left on display by Mr. Denny. The charge is meant solely for the purpose to sensationalize Mr. Denny’s arrest, embarrass him, and shame him into pleading to a lesser charge or soft deal when he is not guilty of anything. We look forward to our opportunity in court, and hope that the media will report Mr. Denny’s exoneration with the same fervor that they report these over sensationalized and trumped-up charges.”

Wagner & Lynch statement

The law firm says Denny has entered a plea of not guilty to each count.