Thomas Robinson, 23, and his father, Paul Robinson, 59, who is a prominent Pittsburgh attorney, were among those charged this week in connection with an alleged cocaine operation at Penn State's Delta Upsilon fraternity house. Both father and son had prior run-ins with the law before these most recent charges.
In the fall of 2024, Thomas Robinson, also known as "T-Rob," pleaded guilty to vandalism charges for defacing university property, receiving a $480 fine. He also faced drug-dealing allegations in December 2024. His father referenced this past case in a since-deleted Facebook post, defending his son and stating, "I don’t understand why my son who has done everything possible to move on and upward from this terrible mistake almost two years ago now had this re-raised."
Paul Robinson was charged with driving under the influence in May 2024, after being stopped by police with a blood-alcohol level more than twice the legal limit. Court records indicate he waived his right to a preliminary hearing, and the case was later closed without details of its resolution being publicly available.
Paul Robinson is now facing felony charges including tampering, hindering apprehension, concealing evidence, and obstructing the investigation into the alleged fraternity cocaine ring. His attorney, Michael DeRiso, stated that Robinson was unaware the safe he allegedly hid contained cocaine and cash. According to the defense, Paul Robinson was given the safe while cleaning out his son's fraternity room in December 2024 after Thomas Robinson's arrest. "My client didn’t know what was in the safe," DeRiso said. "He did not take cocaine and flush it down the toilet to protect his son."