An aeronautics professor at Purdue University was arrested for allegedly dealing methamphetamines and propositioning women for sex in exchange for money, according to Indiana police.
Sergey Macheret, 65, was busted on Wednesday night in Lafayette following a lengthy investigation into reports of a “suspicious” man approaching women, according to the Lafayette Police Department.
He was charged with dealing meth, possession of meth and making an unlawful proposition — which Indiana law is defined as offering to pay someone for sexual intercourse or acts, WGN-TV reported.
The award-winning academic and author has been a professor of aeronautics and astronautical engineering at Purdue since 2014, according to his university profile.
Purdue said in a statement to WGN-TV that Macheret has been placed on leave.
“The university will cooperate fully with the investigation,” the school said. “The employee has been placed on leave pending further updates and legal proceedings and is barred from campus. The School of Aeronautics and Astronautics is working to ensure that undergraduate and graduate student needs are met regarding lectures and labs.”
Police began investigating Macheret in December after receiving multiple reports about a man approaching women. They identified Macheret as a suspect and a plainclothes officer obtained information from him, police said. He was subsequently arrested following a traffic stop.
No additional information regarding Macheret or his arrest have been released by police.
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 endeavors … to contact me directly.”
The university said its police will assist the Lafayette Police Department with its investigation.