Penn State student arrested as alleged leader of campus cocaine network

Penn State authorities arrested Agostino Abbatiello, 24, on charges of leading a cocaine-trafficking ring that allegedly involved 13 current and former students, many of whom were members of the Delta Upsilon and Sigma Chi fraternities. Prosecutors say Abbatiello sourced cocaine from a supplier in New York after an earlier Pennsylvania source ran out, and recruited fraternity brothers and pledges to cut, bag, and distribute the drug on campus.

The criminal complaint details that fraternity members sold cocaine to each other and that pledges were used to package half-gram bags as part of an initiation process. One ringleader, identified as Thomas Robinson, was tased during a police raid after mistaking the operation for a prank. Police also recovered marijuana, pill bottles, drug paraphernalia, a handgun and ammunition.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday described the scheme as “an upper-level trafficking organisation for this region in Pennsylvania.” University officials said the institution would cooperate with law enforcement and condemned the criminal activity. Abbatiello failed to appear at his August 17 arraignment but turned himself in the following day. Several other participants, including fraternity members Lars Zeepvat and Mohammed Huraibi, have been charged, and the state attorney general noted that the most significant members of the organization are now in custody and will face court proceedings.