Purdue professor Sergey Macheret was arrested for trafficking meth and offering money for sex

According to Indiana police, an aviation professor at Purdue University has been arrested for allegedly dealing methamphetamines and offering women sex for money.

Sergey Macheret, 65, was arrested in Lafayette Wednesday night after a lengthy investigation into reports of a “suspect” man approaching women, according to the Lafayette Police Department.

He was charged with trafficking meth, possessing meth and making an unlawful proposal — which Indiana law defines as an offer to pay someone for intercourse or sexual activity, WGN-TV reported.

The award-winning academic and author has been Professor of Aerospace 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 fully cooperate with the investigation,” the school said. “The employee has been placed on leave pending further updates and trial and has been suspended from campus. The Faculty of Aerospace is working to ensure that the needs of undergraduate and graduate students are met in terms of lectures and laboratories.”

Police began investigating Macheret in December after receiving multiple reports of a man approaching women. They identified Macheret as a suspect and a plainclothes officer obtained information from him, police said. He was then arrested after a traffic stop.

Police have not released any further information about Macheret or his arrest.

Bill Crossley, principal of the Purdue School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, told WFLI that he could not comment on legal matters, but urged “all AAE students, staff and faculty who have questions or concerns about the impact of this matter on their academic have made efforts … to contact me directly.”

The university said its police will assist the Lafayette Police Department in their investigation.