Updates to our Terms of Use

We are updating our Terms of Use. Please carefully review the updated Terms before proceeding to our website.

Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Oklahoma Sheriff Accused|of Taking Sexual Bribes

OKLAHOMA CITY (CN) - An Oklahoma sheriff demanded sex from an employee for months in exchange for hiring her husband, a grand jury concluded Thursday.

The state's multicounty grand jury returned the accusation of removal against Carter County Sheriff Milton R. Anthony, 65, charging him with one count of corruption in office. He is charged with felony bribery. The state seeks Anthony's immediate suspension pending trial.

"Anthony is alleged to have solicited a bribe of sexual favors from a Carter County Sheriff's Office employee in exchange for hiring the woman's husband as a deputy officer," Attorney General Scott Pruitt's office said in a statement.

After Anthony threatened to demote the employee, Kelli Denney, 26, when she wanted to stop, she saved her their texts and recorded a conversation with him, according to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.

Anthony was arrested on June 2 and released from his own jail after posting $20,000 bond. If convicted, he will lose his job and could be sentenced to 10 years in state prison.

Anthony and Denney were close before the sexual relationship began.

"Kelli confided in Anthony about her family and financial situation," according to a probable cause affidavit. "Kelli thought her family's financial situation would greatly improve if (her husband) was offered a position at the Carter County sheriff's office."

Investigators said that after her husband applied for the job, Anthony asked Denney to marry him and she "laughed and didn't think much of it." They said she considered an offer for sex for "a couple of days" before starting to have sex with him in July 2015.

"Usually on Fridays, during their lunch hour, Kelli would drive over to Anthony's residence ... and have sexual intercourse with him," the affidavit states. "This occurred approximately 10 times."

"The woman's husband was, in fact, hired shortly after the sexual contact started," the OSBI said in a statement on June 2. "The sexual contact continued for several months. When the woman tried to end the contact, the Sheriff insinuated he would alter her work hours and even fire her and her husband if she did not continue with their agreement." Denney wanted to stop having sex with her boss because she didn't "want to cheat on (her) husband" anymore.

"Anthony began threatening to change Kelli's work duties, which would force her to work on holidays and weekends and insinuated he would fire her and (her husband)," the affidavit states. "Kelli would then go back to having sexual relationships with Anthony."

Follow @davejourno
Categories / Uncategorized

Subscribe to Closing Arguments

Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.

Loading...