An award-winning university professor has been charged with allegedly dealing methamphetamines and offering to pay women for sex, according to police. Sergey Macheret, 65, was arrested on Wednesday after police were made aware of a “suspicious” man approaching women.
Indiana police confirmed that the Purdue University aeronautics professor was arrested in Lafayette, Louisiana, and charged with dealing meth, possession of meth and making an unlawful proposition.
Unlawful proposition under Indiana law is defined as knowingly or intentionally offering money to someone for sexual intercourse or sexual conduct.
The university in West Lafayette, Indiana has since placed the academic on leave while the investigation is underway.
According to his online profile, Mr Macharet is an award-winning author and academic who has been a professor in the aeronautics and astronautical engineering department at Purdue University since 2014.
The university is working with police to assist in their investigations.
“The university will cooperate fully with the investigation,” the statement said.
“The employee has been placed on leave pending further updates and legal proceedings and is barred from campus.
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“The School of Aeronautics and Astronautics is working to ensure that undergraduate and graduate student needs are met regarding lectures and labs.”
Officers first started investigating Mr Macharet in December after linking him to reports of a “suspicious” man in the area, who was seen approaching women.
They identified him as a suspect and a plainclothes officer obtained information from him, police said.
He was subsequently arrested following a traffic stop.
Police are yet to release any more information regarding Mr Macharet arrest.
Bill Crossley, head of the Purdue School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, told WFLI that he could not comment on legal matters, but urged “any AAE students, staff and faculty who have questions or concerns about this impact of this matter on their academic endeavour to contact me directly”.
The university said its police will assist the Lafayette Police Department with its investigation.
Express.co.uk has approach Purdue University for comment.
