Authorities have dismantled a cocaine ring operating out of a Penn State fraternity house, apprehending a student accused of leading the operation. The investigation gained traction after an informant alerted law enforcement that the alleged drug dealer, known by the nickname 'T-Rob,' was accepting Venmo payments for narcotics under the name "Tom-Robinson."
According to court documents, a database search for the Venmo username led investigators to Thomas Robinson, a student residing at the Delta Upsilon Fraternity House in State College, Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General confirmed Robinson's involvement in the alleged drug ring.
When authorities executed a raid on the fraternity house in December 2024, Robinson reportedly resisted arrest, initially mistaking the officers for his fraternity brothers playing a prank. He is now 23 years old.
In response to the allegations, Penn State announced it was placing the Delta Upsilon fraternity on interim suspension. The university also noted that the Sigma Chi fraternity operates independently of university oversight.
"We are horrified by these serious allegations against current and former students," said Andrea Dowhower, the university's vice president for student affairs.
Paul Robinson, the father of Thomas Robinson, has also been charged in connection with the cocaine ring. The Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General has indicated that 14 individuals were charged in total as part of the campus drug ring investigation.