Penn State Cocaine Ring Suspects Plead Not Guilty

Five men accused of operating a cocaine distribution ring at Penn State University have indicated plans to plead not guilty in Centre County court. Their attorneys have filed court documents signaling their defense strategies as the case progresses.

Agostino Abbatiello, Mohammed Huraibi, Robert Zanolla, Thomas Robinson, and Paul Robinson waived their formal arraignments, which were scheduled for Wednesday. Their next court appearance is set for November 16 for a pretrial conference.

Three of the defendants—Abbatiello, Zanolla, and Thomas Robinson—have requested jury trials. Huraibi and Paul Robinson also indicated their intention to plead not guilty but have not yet selected a trial type.

Prosecutors allege the group used fraternity connections to distribute cocaine in State College and sold it to Penn State students. Evidence presented details kilogram-sized deals and a drug-packaging operation within a fraternity house. Thomas Robinson, a former Delta Upsilon fraternity member, testified that he and Huraibi began purchasing cocaine from Abbatiello in 2023, initially in smaller quantities before escalating to kilogram-sized purchases. Robinson stated that the drugs were packaged in his fraternity room, and later, fraternity pledges became involved in packaging.

Robert Zanolla is accused of facilitating cocaine transportation from New York City to State College. His attorney, Korey Leslie, stated that his client has entered a not-guilty plea and requested a jury trial, emphasizing that "pre-judging the evidence would be foolish."

Paul Robinson faces allegations of assisting his son, Thomas Robinson, in retrieving a safe containing drugs and money after Thomas's arrest. Ryan Matson testified that Paul Robinson knew the safe's location and urged him not to disclose it to investigators. Paul Robinson's defense has questioned the extent of his knowledge regarding the safe's contents.

A judge previously determined there was sufficient evidence for the charges against all five defendants to proceed. Attorneys for Abbatiello and the other defendants declined to comment or were not immediately available for comment.