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Miami professor, organized crime ace arrested for money laundering

Takes one to know one.

A Miami professor and expert on organized crime has been charged with laundering dirty money from Venezuela — and pocketing more than $250,000 for himself.

University of Miami professor Bruce Bagley, who co-edited the 2015 tome “Drug Trafficking, Organized Crime, and Violence in the Americas Today,” was charged Monday in Manhattan federal court with channeling some $2.5 million in dirty money into the U.S., according to court papers.

Prosecutors claim the 73-year-old international relations educator opened bank accounts for the sole purpose of moving money for corrupt foreign nationals, accepting 14 deposits between November 2017 and October 2018.

The money came from the United Arab Emirates and Swiss bank accounts, the complaint says.

Authorities say Bagley received $200,000 per deposit, and would then withdraw around 90 percent of the funds via cashier’s check, which was named out to a person described in court papers as a “Colombian individual.”

That unnamed individual allegedly told Bagley the funds were “proceeds from foreign bribery and embezzlement stolen from the Venezuelan people,” according to court papers.

The professor is facing two counts of money laundering and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

He’s expected to appear before a judge in Florida Monday, ahead of his transfer to New York.

Bagley faces up to 20 years behind bars if convicted.