Fourteen people — including current and former Penn State students, their fraternity brothers and a prominent Pittsburgh lawyer — have been charged in an alleged multistate cocaine trafficking ring that authorities say operated out of two of the college’s fraternity houses.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced the sweeping charges on August 18, 2026, describing the operation as “a coordinated and highly-profitable drug-trafficking crew” that included frat brothers and their families. According to prosecutors, the alleged ringleaders — Agostino Abbatiello and Thomas Robinson — ran a cocaine distribution network between 2023 and 2024 involving members of Sigma Chi and Delta Upsilon.
The charges have rocked the State College, Pennsylvania, campus and led to interim suspensions, felony arrests and stunning allegations that pledges were used to package cocaine.
Here’s everything to know about the case.
Agostino Abbatiello and Thomas Robinson Named as Alleged Ringleaders
State prosecutors have identified Abbatiello, a Sigma Chi member, and Robinson, a Delta Upsilon brother, as the two leaders of the enterprise. Both graduated from Penn State in 2024 but allegedly continued to organize regular trips to suppliers in New York and Philadelphia to bring drugs back to campus even after they left the university.
According to a grand jury indictment, Abbatiello was described by one codefendant as the largest distributor of cocaine at Penn State University during the two-year window in which the ring operated. He allegedly bragged about how much money he made selling drugs.
Abbatiello surrendered on the morning of August 18, 2026, after failing to appear at an arraignment scheduled for the day before. He has since been ordered to jail without bail. He and Lars Zeepvat, another defendant, have been hit with charges including felony corrupt organizations, conspiracy and dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity.
It is not currently clear whether Abbatiello or Robinson have entered pleas following their arrests.
Lars Zeepvat Says He Was Forced to Deliver Cocaine Over a $1,500 Spring Break Debt
Zeepvat told authorities he and Abbatiello were close friends who worked together to distribute drugs. According to the grand jury indictment, Zeepvat said he used cocaine when he first began attending Penn State and had a dealer in Philadelphia who supplied him and his Sigma Chi fraternity brothers.
When that supplier stopped communicating, Zeepvat said, he and Abbatiello sought out a new source. Abbatiello allegedly found a supplier in his Long Island hometown who provided the fraternity brothers with large amounts of cocaine.
Abbatiello allegedly purchased 100 grams of cocaine from the new supplier in spring 2023, and Zeepvat claimed there was “a shift in Abbatiello” following the buy.
“It was clear to him that Abbatiello was now selling drugs for profit, rather than sourcing it for himself and a few friends,” the grand jury indictment stated.
Zeepvat also alleged that Abbatiello punished him after he was unable to repay a $1,500 loan he had borrowed to go on a spring break trip with fraternity brothers. In exchange for the missing money, Abbatiello allegedly forced Zeepvat to deliver cocaine on his behalf.
Zeepvat and another fraternity brother allegedly made three trips to pick up large amounts of drugs for Abbatiello, and Abbatiello paid them in cash or discounted cocaine. Once the drugs arrived back on campus, Abbatiello allegedly enlisted other fraternity brothers or roommates to help him cut and package the cocaine for distribution.
How Police Busted Thomas Robinson’s Cocaine Operation
Authorities caught Robinson, a former Penn State student and Delta Upsilon brother, thanks to his Venmo activity.
An informant told police that “a male, using the nickname ‘T-Rob’ [was] selling large amounts of cocaine from the Delta Upsilon Fraternity House.” The informant added that the alleged dealer accepted payments through a Venmo account with the username “Tom-Robinson.”
A database search led investigators directly to Robinson, who had listed the Delta Upsilon fraternity house in State College as his address.
The house was raided in December 2024. According to the complaint, Robinson allegedly resisted arrest and initially thought the officers were his fraternity brothers playing a prank on him. He was tasered and taken into custody.
Inside his dorm room, authorities said they found more than eight grams of cocaine, almost eight ounces of marijuana and over 200 amphetamine and dextroamphetamine pills. A Kimber .45-caliber handgun was allegedly recovered from a safe placed on top of a mini fridge.
Robinson is facing charges including drug manufacturing and delivery, criminal use of a communication facility, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. After his arrest, Robinson reportedly told investigators he had sourced the drugs from Abbatiello.
The pair met through one of Robinson’s fraternity brothers who was already dealing drugs, and that brother allegedly recruited Robinson to become “business partners in distributing cocaine” in July 2023. Robinson allegedly received several large shipments of cocaine from Abbatiello between January and September 2024 — including orders valued at $18,000 and $22,000 each.
Thomas Robinson’s Father Paul Robinson Also Arrested
Among the 14 people charged is Thomas’ father, Paul Robinson, a prominent Pittsburgh lawyer. Paul, an attorney at Meyer, Darragh, Buckler, Bebeneck & Eck, has been charged with felony tampering, hindering apprehension and obstructing the investigation.
State prosecutors allege that Paul took steps to conceal evidence in the case, including a safe stuffed with cash and drugs. He had earned his undergraduate degree from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania — where he served as treasurer for Delta Sigma Phi — before receiving his law degree from New England School of Law in 1992. He later joined Phi Alpha Delta while in law school and specialized in transportation, commercial, construction and insurance law.
His law firm addressed the charges in a statement to the New York Post. “The allegations concern Mr Robinson individually and do not involve the Firm, its clients, or the legal services provided by the Firm,” the statement read. “The Firm is reviewing the circumstances surrounding the matter.”
Paul did not immediately respond to Us’ request for comment.
Penn State Suspends Delta Upsilon After the Arrests
Penn State announced on August 17, 2026, that Delta Upsilon had been placed on interim suspension as the investigation continues. Sigma Chi, however, remains unaffected because the group operates outside of the university’s oversight.
Andrea Dowhower, Penn State’s vice president for student affairs, addressed the allegations in a statement.
“We are horrified by these serious allegations against current and former students,” Dowhower said. “Criminal activity, including hazing, such as this has no place at our institution, and we will cooperate with law enforcement in any way we can. We will continue to enhance our efforts around health and safety and hazing educational efforts for all our organizations.”
Sunday, meanwhile, indicated the case is far from over.
“We are pleased to report that the most significant members of this cocaine-trafficking organization are accounted for, and will have their fair process in court,” the attorney general said in his press release. “These are very serious charges and the next steps will be preliminary hearings.”
It is not currently clear whether Paul, Thomas or Abbatiello have entered pleas following their arrests.
This story was compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists.
