More than a dozen Penn State students and one student's lawyer/father were indicted for allegedly selling drugs in bigly amounts on campus in 2023 and 2024. The indictments were disclosed this week, Aug. 17, 2026.
QuoteABC 7 New York
Prosecutors allege that two fraternities - Sigma Chi, where [defendant and alleged ringleader Agostino] Abbatiello was a member, and Delta Upsilon - hosted parties involving drugs and hazed pledges with cocaine.
"Cutting and bagging cocaine was, for some pledges, an indoctrination into the Delta Upsilon and Sigma Chi fraternities," the attorney general said.
According to the criminal complaint, one defendant, Thomas Robinson, thought the arresting cops were actually non-cops playing a prank. Getting tasered helped clarify their status as law enforcement.
Penn State said, "We are horrified by these serious allegations ... criminal activity, including hazing such as this, has no place at our institution." One reading might be Penn State is as concerned by hazing as by drug dealing. Or vice-versa.
It appears law enforcement in and around Happy Valley was taken by the scale of the operation (deals reportedly of a kilo at a time), the amount of money involved, a handgun in possession of a defendant, and that one student's father allegedly was holding cash and product.
ABC-7 New York (https://abc7ny.com/story/penn-state-cocaine-trafficking-ring-agostino-abbatiello-westbury-ny-accused-being-largest-distributor-operation/19698857/)
CBS News Pittsburgh (https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/penn-state-drug-bust-thomas-robinson-agostino-abbatiello/)