Dad Dug Up Son's Buried Safe Full of Cash Amid Penn State Drug Ring Probe, Witness Testifies
A witness testified that the father of an accused Penn State drug kingpin helped unearth and remove a safe containing cash, contradicting previous claims.
The father of one of the accused student leaders in a Penn State cocaine trafficking ring allegedly assisted in digging up his son's buried safe, which contained a significant amount of cash, a witness testified. This account contrasts with an earlier assertion that the father had merely acquired the safe while cleaning out his son's room.
The safe reportedly belonged to Thomas "T-Robb" Robinson, 23, of Pittsburgh, one of twelve Delta Upsilon fraternity students accused of operating a cocaine ring from their fraternity house at the university.
Ryan Matson, a fraternity brother of Robinson, testified that he initially took the safe into the woods and covered it with leaves following Robinson's arrest in 2024. Matson stated he later returned to the location with Robinson's father, Paul Robinson, a prominent Pittsburgh lawyer, to retrieve the safe. According to TribLIVE, the elder Robinson then took possession of it, though its current whereabouts remain unknown.
Matson's testimony was presented during a pre-trial hearing. A judge subsequently determined there was sufficient evidence to proceed with a trial for Paul Robinson on felony charges of tampering with evidence and hindering apprehension.
Paul Robinson's attorney, Michael DeRiso, had previously asserted that his client was given the safe while cleaning his son's fraternity room after the arrest. DeRiso argued that there was no evidence to suggest his client was aware of the safe's contents at the time.
Thomas Robinson and Agostino Abbatiello, 24, of the Sigma Chi fraternity, are alleged to have been the primary suppliers in the drug operation. Abbatiello reportedly made frequent trips to Philadelphia and New York to procure substantial quantities of cocaine between 2023 and 2024. Authorities indicated that the ringleaders, including Mohammed Huraibi and Lars Zeepvat, incorporated the cutting and packaging of cocaine into their hazing rituals for fraternity pledges.
Matson further told the court that Thomas Robinson had informed him the safe was full of cash. Thomas Robinson, in testimony before a grand jury, stated that he had placed approximately 100 grams of cocaine and between $5,000 and $10,000 in the safe, according to Senior Deputy Attorney General Megan McGoron.
In total, fourteen individuals face charges related to their alleged involvement in the drug ring, including Paul Robinson, his son, and a dozen other students.