Penn State fraternity members charged in cocaine trafficking ring
Fourteen people, including current and former Penn State students, have been indicted for operating a cocaine cutting and distribution network out of two off-campus fraternity houses.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced Monday that 14 individuals have been charged in connection with a cocaine trafficking operation linked to Penn State University. The indictment includes 13 current or former students and alleges that the ring cut and packaged bulk cocaine at the off-campus houses of Sigma Chi and Delta Upsilon fraternities before distributing it to other students.
The alleged leader, 24-year-old Agostino Abbatiello, failed to appear for a scheduled arraignment and was taken into custody on Tuesday. He faces charges of possession with intent to deliver and conspiracy and was ordered jailed without bail.
Court filings state that the operation ran during 2023 and 2024, sourcing large quantities of cocaine from contacts in Philadelphia and New York. Four defendants are charged with conspiracy and felony offenses, while eight face misdemeanor drug-possession counts. A student’s father, Paul Robinson, is charged with felony tampering and obstruction for allegedly hiding evidence, including a safe containing drugs and cash.
Penn State placed Delta Upsilon on interim suspension; the university does not recognize Sigma Chi, so it falls outside its direct oversight. Delta Upsilon’s executive director, Justin Kirk, said members tied to the ring were expelled or suspended. Sigma Chi’s executive director, Michael Church, reported that three members charged have been suspended and that the chapter’s activities are halted pending investigation.
"This is very serious criminal conduct. There was nothing junior or childlike about this type of conduct," Sunday said at a news conference. > "This conduct is an egregious violation of our values and has no place in our fraternity, community, or society," Church added.