Pennsylvania lawyer charged in fraternity drug case says he was unaware of safe's contents
Paul Robinson, a Pittsburgh attorney, faces felony charges for allegedly tampering with a safe that prosecutors say held cocaine and cash, which he claims he did not know about while cleaning his son’s fraternity room.
A Pittsburgh lawyer has been indicted on felony charges of tampering, hindering apprehension and obstructing an investigation after prosecutors say he removed cocaine from a safe found in his son’s fraternity room. Paul Robinson, 59, was reportedly given the safe while helping his son, Thomas Robinson, clean out the Delta Upsilon house in December 2024, shortly after the younger Robinson was arrested on drug-trafficking charges.
Robinson’s attorney, Michael DeRiso, told reporters that his client did not know the safe contained drugs or cash and that he did not flush cocaine down a toilet to protect his son. DeRiso declined to comment on the safe’s contents, noting that prosecutors allege the safe held both narcotics and money.
Thomas Robinson is among more than a dozen current and former Penn State students charged in a cocaine-distribution network, which authorities say was led by 24-year-old Agostino Abbatiello. The investigation began after a confidential informant identified a person using the nickname “T-Rob” as a large-scale dealer operating from the fraternity house.
According to DeRiso, Paul Robinson learned of his son’s legal trouble only after posting bail and was subsequently asked to assist with cleaning the room, during which he obtained the safe. The law firm where Robinson is a managing partner issued a statement that the allegations pertain solely to him personally and do not involve the firm, its clients or its services, and that the firm is reviewing the matter.