STATE COLLEGE, Pennsylvania — The frats busted for cocaine at Penn State College final week dealt out of “drug rooms” at events and hazed freshmen even worse than making them bag up narcotics, campus sources claimed to The Submit.
13 members of Sigma Chi and Delta Upsilon fraternities have been arrested final week over alleged wide-scale dealing and distribution of medication by federal authorities.
Nevertheless, those that studied with them stated cocaine use and MDMA-fueled end-of-semester events have been well-known on the $21,000-a-year faculty, the place the autumn semester began Monday.
“It barely scratches the floor of what’s happening. It’s part of the tradition at Penn State. It was regular to take cocaine at these events, particularly with freshman boys who needed to impress their brothers and discuss to women,” one sorority sister instructed The Submit.
“To me it felt like they have been providing it to everybody on the get together. You’d go searching, and there could be folks snorting traces of cocaine round you. It was so normalized.”
The 2 accused fraternity chapters have been described as being on the prime of the college’s social scene.
College students pledging in 2023 have been made to “package deal the medicine into half gram luggage on the market,” in line with courtroom paperwork. One of many younger males compelled to participate had a relative who had graduated however was a part of Sigma Chi, The Submit has realized.
That freshman was then “hazed additional arduous” because of his connection, considered one of round 15 boys allegedly compelled to participate.
“He knew the hazing course of for fraternities was robust and intimidating, however by no means in one million years did he assume it will contain bagging up and promoting medicine,” a supply near him stated.
“He didn’t need to say no and threat being seen as weak, particularly due to his household connection contained in the frat.”
The pledges have been additionally allegedly compelled into private servitude for the seniors, made to run errands, act as designated drivers and topic to sexual-themed challenges too graphic to explain.
“Actually, it was virtually a break from among the disgusting and degrading issues they have been being made to do,” the supply added.
The Submit reached out to the person allegedly on the heart of the hazing however he declined to remark.
The Pennsylvania Lawyer Normal named New York-born accounting graduate Agostino Abbatiello because the “prime of meals chain” when arrests have been made final week. Alongside him, Thomas Robinson, Mohammed Huraibi and Lars Zeepvat have been additionally named different key gamers within the alleged scheme, which occurred between 2023 and 2024 — though feds tracked cocaine gross sales by Abbatiello into Feb. 2026.
A second sorority woman, who wished to stay nameless, was a frequent visitor at their frat events.
“I used to be a freshman, and I used to be so excited as a result of they have been well-known [on campus] and getting in felt like an enormous deal,” the now-senior instructed The Submit. “You didn’t should look arduous to know they have been promoting medicine. I’m truthfully shocked they weren’t caught sooner.
“I by no means needed to pay for any cocaine however you would need to go into a particular room to Venmo one of many guys, and so they’d hand you a little bit bag.
“It was performed away from the remainder of the home the place the others have been simply consuming, dancing and being silly faculty youngsters.”
On-campus sources claimed events fueled by MDMA — extra generally generally known as Molly — have been thrown at Delta Upsilon and served as monumental blowouts on the finish of every semester.
Invites have been despatched by means of the messaging app GroupMe, disguised as innocent-sounding “paint events,” in line with a 3rd senior belonging to a special sorority.
“The Molly events have been actually intense,” she stated. “Everybody would present up wearing white and you’d have neon paint placed on you.
“I suppose the ultraviolet lights would then make every thing look ‘trippy.’”
“Then individuals who have been buddies with the frat boys or could possibly be vouched for have been taken into a chosen room to choose up Molly.
“They’d Venmo one of many brothers there and got the medicine and an enormous lollipop to make use of to cease lockjaw. It was so apparent who was excessive due to their big pupils.”
Penn State, Sigma Chi, Delta Upsilon and State Faculty IFC didn’t reply to The Submit’s request for remark for this story.
The frat boys weren’t nice at masking their tracks, in line with authorities, who allege Robinson was accepting fee by means of a Venmo account with the username “Tom-Robinson,” whereas Abbatiello “would boast about how a lot cash he was making from promoting cocaine,” in line with courtroom papers.
The scandal displays badly on different fraternities at Penn State.
Xander Dempster, 21, who is part of the Chi Pi fraternity, stated: “It places all fraternities right here in a nasty mild and it’s simply not truthful on the remainder of us.
“We do lots of charity work and are closely concerned locally. Final yr we helped increase $18 million at Thon,” a dance marathon organized by the scholars.
In complete, 14 fraternities at Penn State have been banned, suspended, or are at present working unrecognized following investigations into misconduct, which embrace allegations of hazing, compelled alcohol and drug consumption, bodily and psychological abuse and compelled servitude.
5 of these frats — together with Sigma Chi, on the coronary heart of the alleged medicine ring — created their very own governing physique, the State Faculty Interfraternity Council in March 2025. That was shaped in response to reforms put in by Penn State after Timothy Piazza, 19, died when he was pledging for Beta Theta Pi in 2017.
His dad and mom, Evelyn and Jim Piazza, say reform is desperately wanted.
“Sigma Chi is a part of the impartial coalition away from the Faculty and we now have been publicly saying it’s a harmful mannequin, and that is simply proof that we have been proper,” Evelyn instructed The Submit.
“Classes haven’t been realized following our son’s demise, as a result of everybody needs to assume they’re invincible and it received’t occur once more.
Jim added: “The state antihazing regulation in our son’s title was handed in 2018 and there has not been a single state of affairs the place the district lawyer has assessed a hazing cost.”
The campus is abuzz with discuss in regards to the cocaine scandal, and freshmen say it’s bolstered their view of frats.
Billy Kiray, a 21-year-old freshman from Pittsburgh, instructed The Submit: “I used to be by no means going to hitch a fraternity, I feel I’m a little bit too previous for that now.
“This entire state of affairs exhibits that much more. I’ll simply be specializing in my research and making my household proud.”
Freshman Cole Falin, 18, from Royersford, Pennsylvania, learning political science, stated: “My mother is definitely a Penn State alum however she says it has modified lots since she’s been right here as a result of there was not any of this happening.
“I used to be type of shocked … however it’s faculty so there might be medicine round someplace. I’ll undoubtedly not be becoming a member of a fraternity, I need to avoid all that.”
Forward of the brand new yr, Penn State Vice President for Pupil Affairs Andrea Dowhower stated the college “continues to be appalled by these allegations” and added: “Hazing is in opposition to College coverage, in addition to state and federal regulation, and we strongly encourage anybody who’s conscious of such harmful habits to report it to the College and regulation enforcement.
“We strongly discourage any scholar from affiliating with unrecognized organizations or participating with these organizations. With no College oversight, they’ve a larger potential to threaten the well-being of those that take part of their occasions.”
