Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday addressed the possibility of his office taking action against Penn State following the discovery of an alleged cocaine trafficking ring involving the university's fraternities. Authorities reported that approximately 1 kilogram of cocaine was trafficked every other month as part of what Sunday described as an "upper-level trafficking organization."
Sunday stated, "This was a very sophisticated endeavor. This wasn't just a couple kids at college who were sharing drugs with each other." Fourteen individuals, including current and former Penn State students, face felony or misdemeanor charges related to alleged activities between 2023 and 2024.
Prosecutors identified Agostino Abbatiello, 24, and Thomas Robinson, 23, as the suspected leaders of the operation, which involved trips to Philadelphia and New York for large quantities of cocaine, arranged drug deals via Snapchat, and payments through Venmo.
Sunday expressed concern about the longevity of such organizations, noting that pledges at the Delta Upsilon and Sigma Chi fraternities were allegedly instructed to cut and package cocaine as part of their initiation, highlighting peer pressure as a significant factor in their involvement.
Penn State University has expressed its dismay over the allegations and has placed Delta Upsilon on interim suspension, while Sigma Chi is not recognized by the university. The current allegations follow a previous fraternity-related incident in 2017, when a student died during a hazing event.
When asked about potential actions against Penn State, Sunday stated, "My hope is that Penn State will take the appropriate actions under these circumstances," and expressed optimism about future collaboration with the university to address these issues.