Fourteen Penn State students and associates charged in alleged cocaine distribution scheme
Pennsylvania Attorney General filings list fourteen individuals accused of various roles in a cocaine distribution network linked to Penn State University, ranging from alleged suppliers to fraternity members involved in packaging and delivery.
The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office released fourteen individual complaints detailing alleged involvement in a cocaine distribution network connected to Penn State University. The filings describe a hierarchy that includes alleged suppliers, distributors and fraternity members who purportedly weighed, packaged and delivered the drug.
Prosecutors identify Agostino Abbatiello, a 24-year-old accounting major and Sigma Chi member from Westbury, New York, as the alleged leader of the operation. He faces multiple felony charges. Thomas Robinson, a 22-year-old human-resources student at Delta Upsilon, is accused of handling downstream logistics and distributing cocaine to students, reportedly using Snapchat for sales.
Mohammed Huraibi, also a Delta Upsilon member, is described as an early distributor who introduced Robinson to Abbatiello and later continued selling to another fraternity. Lars Zeepvat, a Sigma Chi member, is alleged to have sourced cocaine from Philadelphia and acted as a business partner to Abbatiello. Robert Zanolla, a Sigma Chi member from New York, is accused of transporting the drug from New York City to State College on three trips.
Other individuals named in the complaints include Paul Robinson, alleged to have concealed evidence for his son; Michael Brogno Jr., who allegedly packaged cocaine as a fraternity pledge; and several students—Kaden Howe, Connor Hurleigh, Seth Beardsley, Daniel Price, Kyle Ridpath, Liam Smith and Charlie Weisman—accused of assisting with purchasing, packaging or delivering the drug. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
"The investigation relied on confidential informants who purchased drugs from the suspects and provided critical information that led to the arrests," the Attorney General’s office said.
The charges range from felony drug trafficking to misdemeanor possession and distribution, reflecting the varying alleged roles within the purported network.