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Penn State frat bro thought he was being pranked during cocaine ring bust — then cops tasered him

penn-state-frat-bro-thought-he-was-being-pranked-during-cocaine-ring-bust-—-then-cops-tasered-him
Penn State frat bro thought he was being pranked during cocaine ring bust — then cops tasered him

An accused drug kingpin in a Penn State cocaine trafficking ring was tasered and arrested after he allegedly resisted cops — believing the police raid was just a fraternity prank, court documents revealed.

Thomas Robinson, 23, was slapped with resisting arrest because he “thought the officers were his fraternity brothers playing a prank on him,” before he was cuffed in State College in December 2024, according to court documents seen by NBC News.

A search of his dorm room at the Delta Upsilon fraternity house allegedly turned up over 8 grams of cocaine, almost 8 ounces of weed, and more than 200 amphetamine and dextroamphetamine pills, according to the criminal complaint.

Thomas Robinson wearing a suit and tie.

Thomas Robinson is one of 14 students charged in a campus drug ring that trafficked cocaine into Penn State. (Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General) Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General

Authorities were told by a confidential informant that “a male, using the nickname ‘T-Rob’ is selling large amounts of cocaine from the Delta Upsilon Fraternity House,” the outlet reported.

The alleged drug kingpin was accepting payment through a Venmo account with the username “Tom-Robinson,” the CI told authorities, court papers said.

He was charged in several incidents from September to December 2024, including drug manufacturing and delivery, criminal use of a communication facility, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

A young man in a white mesh cap and a black

Thomas Robinson is seen in a photo posted to Facebook on June 28, 2022. (Facebook/Tom Robinson) Facebook/Tom Robinson

“T-Rob” ratted out Agostino Abbatiello, a ringleader of the operation, a fellow student at Sigma Chi, who supplied him with the coke.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether Robinson has entered a plea, and he is scheduled to appear in court next month for a pretrial hearing, according to court documents.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Robinson works as a salesperson at “Kab Incorporated,” previously holding a position as a “laborer” at United States Steel Corporation.

Robinson’s father, Paul Robinson, a prominent Pittsburgh attorney, was implicated in the drug trafficking scandal alongside Thomas.

A large stone building with a slate roof and a black and white Tudor-style facade, featuring a blue and yellow cross on the lawn.

The Sigma Chi fraternity house, located at 400 E. Prospect Ave. in State College, Pa. (Google Maps) Google Maps

The older Robinson is charged with felony tampering, hindering apprehension for taking steps to conceal evidence in the case, including a safe stuffed with cash and drugs and obstructing the investigation, state prosecutors said.

The dad earned a bachelor’s degree from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and a law degree from New England School of Law in 1992, according to his company profile — and was treasurer for Delta Sigma Phi as an undergrad, and a member of Phi Alpha Delta while in law school, according to his LinkedIn profile.

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Robinson was admitted to the bar in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, specializing in transportation, commercial, construction and insurance law.

He’s currently managing attorney at Meyer, Darragh, Buckler, Bebeneck & Eck based in Pittsburgh.

Paul and Thomas Robinson reside in Churchill, a suburb of Pittsburgh.

Delta Upsilon has been placed on interim suspension following the fallout of the drug operation. 

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