14 Charged in Penn State Frat Cocaine Ring

Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced charges Monday against 14 people in connection with a cocaine-trafficking operation that ran, in part, out of two Penn State fraternity houses in State College. The good news is that this crime has no known Monroe County connection (yet).

According to the Grand Jury presentment, 13 of the defendants were Penn State students at or around the time of the alleged conduct in 2023 and 2024. The 14th is the father of one of the students, charged with tampering with evidence. At least four of the defendants are still enrolled.

Investigators say two members of the group, Agostino Abbatiello, 24, of Westbury, New York, and Thomas Robinson, 23, of Pittsburgh, were the operation's main suppliers, making regular runs to Philadelphia and New York for cocaine in kilogram quantities. The drugs were then cut and packaged, primarily inside the Delta Upsilon and Sigma Chi fraternity houses, and resold mostly to other Penn State students, largely for cash or through payment apps.

Abbatiello and Robinson, along with Mohammed S. Huraibi, 22, of Secaucus, New Jersey, and Lars Zeepvat, 24, of Mendham, New Jersey, face felony counts of corrupt organizations, conspiracy, and dealing in the proceeds of unlawful activity. Robert Zanolla, 24, of Manhasset, New York, faces felony conspiracy and criminal use of a communication facility. Eight more student-aged defendants, Liam Smith, Michael Brogno, Kaden Howe, Connor Hurleigh, Seth Beardsley, Kyle Ridpath, Daniel Price, and Charles Wiseman, face misdemeanor possession and paraphernalia counts. Paul Robinson, 59, of Pittsburgh, Thomas Robinson's father, is charged with tampering with evidence and hindering apprehension for allegedly trying to hide a safe containing drugs and cash.

“This was a coordinated and highly-profitable drug-trafficking crew revolving around two senior members of the fraternities, other fraternity brothers, and pledges,” Attorney General Sunday said. “In fact, according to the evidence uncovered, cutting and packaging cocaine was, for some pledges, an indoctrination into the fraternities.”

Unsecured bail for the defendants arraigned so far ranges from $250,000 to $1.5 million. Preliminary hearings for the felony defendants are still being scheduled. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.