Penn State fraternity members charged in multi-year cocaine distribution scheme
Police arrested a student leader, 12 other students and an alumnus’s father after uncovering a cocaine-cutting and selling operation run through two Penn State fraternities.
Authorities dismantled a cocaine distribution network that operated at Pennsylvania State University between 2023 and 2024, using Delta Upsilon and Sigma Chi fraternity houses as processing sites. Student Agostino Abbatiello allegedly cultivated suppliers in Philadelphia and New York, while pledges were required to cut and bag the drug as part of initiation rituals. Operation Drugs Unlimited, conducted by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office and State College Police, resulted in the arrest of Abbatiello, 12 other students and alumni, and the father of one defendant.
Charges filed include participation in a corrupt organization, conspiracy, and dealing in proceeds of illegal activity. State Attorney Dave Sunday described the conduct as serious criminal behavior, noting that the drug dealing was largely confined to fraternity members and their acquaintances.
Why it matters
The case highlights how Greek life can facilitate large-scale drug trafficking on college campuses.
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