Police in Clarksville, in the US state of Indiana, said officers searched the property of Alan Jay White, 59, on March 7, recovering 78 grams of suspected methamphetamine along with fake currency and drug paraphernalia. The quantity, they said, was inconsistent with personal use.

White, who previously worked as a college dean and was reportedly known locally as “the professor”, has been under investigation “for years”, according to police.

He was arrested and later released pending further proceedings without the need to post bond.

Speaking to local broadcaster WAVE, White – whose story resembles that of Walter White in the hit series Breaking Bad – did not deny that drugs were present but insisted they were not his. “They didn’t find stacks of monies… they did not find guns,” he said, adding that the alleged quantity was minimal and disputing police claims about the scale of the operation.

Police referenced Breaking Bad in announcing the arrest, with Clarksville police chief Nathan Walls remarking: “He’s definitely no Walter White.”