Key Takeaways
- Penn State fraternity member Thomas "T-Rob" Robinson allegedly sold cocaine from the Delta Upsilon house and accepted payments through a Venmo account bearing his own name.
- Robinson allegedly resisted officers and required a taser during his December 2024 arrest, then said he thought his fraternity brothers were pranking him; police reported finding cocaine, marijuana, pills and a loaded .45-caliber handgun in his room.
- Authorities charged 14 people in the alleged trafficking ring, including supplier Agostino Abbatiello and Robinson’s father, Paul, who prosecutors accuse of concealing a safe containing drugs and cash.
A Penn State fraternity member accused of helping lead a cocaine-trafficking operation was apparently so surprised by being arrested that he initially thought it was a prank.
According to a 2024 criminal complaint, a confidential informant told authorities in September 2024 that Thomas Robinson, known as "T-Rob," was allegedly selling large quantities of cocaine from the Delta Upsilon fraternity house. The informant claimed payments could be sent to the Venmo username "Tom-robinson-53."
Officers executed a search warrant in Robinson's room at the fraternity house on December 13, 2024. The complaint alleges that Robinson hid his hands beneath his body, resisted being handcuffed, and threatened officers. Police used a Taser before taking him into custody. As officers escorted him from the room, Robinson allegedly said he had thought they were his fraternity brothers playing a prank.
Investigators reported recovering cocaine, approximately 220 grams — or nearly eight ounces — of marijuana, more than 200 amphetamine and dextroamphetamine pills, drug paraphernalia and a Kimber .45-caliber handgun. The firearm was found inside a safe above Robinson’s mini-fridge alongside a magazine containing seven rounds, according to reports citing the complaint.
After his arrest, Robinson reportedly identified Agostino Abbatiello as his primary cocaine supplier, according to court documents.
The alleged operation principally ran during 2023 and 2024. Grand-jury testimony indicates that fellow Delta Upsilon member Mohammed Huraibi introduced Robinson to Abbatiello. Robinson and Huraibi allegedly pooled their money for an initial 100-gram cocaine purchase in fall 2023, before Robinson began making increasingly large purchases from Abbatiello.
Authorities allege that Robinson completed six major transactions with Abbatiello between January and September 2024. Those included a March purchase of 500 grams for $18,000 and two separate kilogram purchases for $22,000 each. Separately, confidential informants allegedly completed six controlled cocaine purchases from Robinson between September and December 2024.
Abbatiello, a former Sigma Chi member, surrendered to authorities on Tuesday (August 18) and was denied bail following his arraignment on multiple felony counts, including possession with intent to deliver cocaine and conspiracy, according to the Pennsylvania Attorney General.
Robinson’s father, Paul Robinson, is also among the 14 people charged. Paul, an attorney at a Pittsburgh law firm, faces felony evidence-tampering and hindering-apprehension charges. Prosecutors accuse him of concealing evidence, including a safe containing drugs and cash.
Thomas Robinson was charged in the 2024 case with more than 10 felony counts, including manufacture, delivery, or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance and criminal use of a communication facility.
The latest case also charges him with corrupt organizations, conspiracy, and dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity.
