HealthPenn State Frat Cocaine Ring: Pledges Forced to Bag Drugs, 14 ChargedAired August 22, 2026 at 10:41 PM UTCWritten September 7, 2026 at 9:22 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:00Pledges were forced to cut and bag0:01cocaine as fraternity initiation.0:03Prosecutors say two off-campus0:05fraternity houses near Penn State moved0:07kilos for 2 years, cutting and packaging0:09into half-gram bags inside the houses0:11with supply runs from Philadelphia and0:13New York. With 14 now charged and the0:15alleged ringleader jailed after0:16surrendering, will the forced packaging0:18bring separate hazing charges? 14 people0:20are charged, an expansion [music] from0:22the first count of 12. 13 are current or0:24former Penn State students. The 14th is0:27Paul R. Robinson, 59, [music]0:29a Pittsburgh lawyer and father of0:30co-defendant Thomas Robinson. The felony0:33core centers on two alleged main0:34suppliers, [music] Thomas M. Robinson,0:3723, of the Delta Upsilon house, and0:39Agostino [music] Esabatielo, 24, of0:42Westbury, New York, of Sigma Chi. Early0:44broadcasts rendered variants [music]0:46Agostino Agostino Abatiello Abatiello.0:49Filings use Agostino Esabatielo. Both0:51houses are off-campus and not on Penn0:53State property. Delta Upsilon at 2290:56Locust Lane and Sigma Chi at 400 East0:58Prospect Avenue in State College,1:00described as the primary sites where1:02cocaine was cut and bagged and1:03distributed mainly to students. A1:05reference to Delta Epsilon resolves to1:07Delta Upsilon. No filing supports Delta1:09Epsilon. Philadelphia and New York are1:11cited as regular sources for bulk1:13supply. The trail started in September1:152024.1:17An informant contacted Robinson on1:18Snapchat and identified the Venmo1:20username Tom Robinson 53.1:23A database search tied that username to1:24Thomas Robinson at the Delta Upsilon1:26address. Controlled buys followed on1:28September 27th, October 2nd, 16th,1:31November 11th, and December 12th, with1:33recordings on multiple transactions, six1:35purchases totaling about 73 to 74 g.1:39Prosecutors say bulk supply to Robinson1:41exceeded 3.5 kg between January and1:44September 2024, including 500 g for1:46$18,000 and two separate kilograms at1:49$22,000 each. Plus a witness ledger1:52alleging more than $50,000 paid to1:54Abatiello, about $30,000 via Cash App,1:57plus cash and other apps. On December1:5913th, a day after the final controlled2:01buy, police executed a search at the2:03Delta Upsilon house. Inside Thomas2:05Robinson's room, they seized more than 82:07g of cocaine, almost 8 oz of marijuana,2:10about 220 g, more than 200 amphetamine2:14and dextroamphetamine pills,2:15paraphernalia, about $1,8622:18in cash, and a Kimber .45 handgun with a2:21seven-round magazine inside a safe.2:23Investigators say Robinson hid his hands2:25under his body, shouted, "I'm going to2:27feud you up." when officers tried to2:29handcuff him, was tased, then told2:31officers he thought the raid was a2:32fraternity prank. Cutting and packaging2:34was done by brothers and pledges at both2:36houses. For some pledges, prosecutors2:39say it served as indoctrination. New2:41members made to handle felony drug2:42processing [music] as their entry cost.2:44Sigma Chi had been suspended in January2:462021 for COVID, drug and alcohol2:49violations through summer 2024, [music]2:51and is not recognized by Penn State,2:53operating independently while Delta2:55Upsilon is a recognized chapter.3:02The charging structure reflects tiered3:04roles. [music] Abatiello, Thomas3:06Robinson, Mohammad Haraibi, also3:08rendered Haraibi 22, and Lars R. Zipf3:1024, face felony corrupt organizations3:13[music] conspiracy and dealing in3:14proceeds. Robert A. Zanola 24 faces3:17felony conspiracy and criminal use of a3:19communication facility. Eight others3:21face [music] misdemeanor possession and3:23paraphernalia. Liam Smith, Michael3:26Brogno, Caden Hall, Connor Hurley, Seth3:29Beardsley, Kyle Redpath, [music] Daniel3:31Price, and Charles Wiseman, also3:33rendered Wiseman, Paul R. Robinson is3:35charged with felony [music] tampering3:37with evidence, hindering apprehension,3:39and obstruction for allegedly concealing3:41a safe containing drugs and cash between3:43December 13th and 21st.3:44>> [music]3:44>> His counsel describes aspects as a3:46misunderstanding over retrieving3:47belongings. Thomas Robinson [music]3:49faces more than 10 felonies, including3:52possession with intent to deliver,3:53conspiracy, dealing in proceeds, corrupt3:55organizations, criminal use of a3:57communication facility, possession and3:59paraphernalia, plus resisting arrest4:01under 18 Pa. Cons. of Merlin C Sec.4:03[music]4:0351 D. The status flipped within a day.4:06An August 18th report described4:08Abatiello as at large after he failed4:10[music] to appear August 17th and a4:12warrant issued. He surrendered the4:14morning of August 18th, [music] was4:16arraigned on multiple felonies including4:17conspiracy and possession with intent to4:19deliver, and was denied bail as a flight4:22risk. Other defendants were released on4:24unsecured bail, $1.5 [music] million for4:27Thomas Robinson, $500,000 to $1.54:30million for others pending preliminary4:32hearings in early September with4:34September to be cited [music] and a4:35pre-trial for Thomas Robinson the4:37following month. No pleas have been4:39entered.4:39>> [music]4:39>> The Attorney General has not filed4:41hazing specific counts citing an ongoing4:43investigation [music] while Penn State's4:45Office of Student Accountability and4:46Conflict Response reviews Delta4:48Upsilon's interim suspension under the4:50Timothy J. Piazza Anti-Hazing Law and4:52Stop Campus [music] Hazing Act. Exact4:54kilo totals beyond the described bulk4:56transactions and the full $50,000 ledger4:58await forensic accounting. All5:00defendants are [music] presumed innocent5:01pending adjudication. The Venmo username5:03under his own name and the recorded buys5:05mean the network documented itself.5:08Like and follow for more stories that5:10matter.Explore with HeyDexThe shortThe short ↗