Pittsburgh Attorney Says He Unknowingly Took Safe at Center of Penn State Cocaine-Ring Case

Paul Robinson and his son Thomas Robinson are both charged in the Penn State drug scandal.Facebook/Paul Robinson

A prominent Pittsburgh attorney accused of trying to conceal evidence in the sprawling Penn State fraternity cocaine investigation is pushing back against prosecutors, with his lawyer arguing that he did not know what was inside the safe now at the center of the case.

Paul Robinson, 59, the father of former Penn State student Thomas Robinson, faces felony charges tied to allegations that he concealed evidence and obstructed investigators. Prosecutors allege that a safe containing drugs and cash was removed after Thomas was arrested in December 2024.

But Paul Robinson’s attorney, Michael DeRiso, is offering a sharply different account. He says Robinson obtained the safe while helping clear his son’s belongings out of his fraternity room after the arrest and had no idea what it allegedly contained.

“My client didn’t know what was in the safe,” DeRiso said. He also disputed the allegation that Robinson disposed of cocaine in an effort to protect his son.

Father says he learned about allegations only after son’s arrest

Thomas Robinson was arrested in December 2024.Facebook/Tom Robinson

According to DeRiso, Paul Robinson did not know his son was allegedly involved in the trafficking operation until he had to pick him up following his arrest.

A day or two later, the attorney said, Robinson traveled to Penn State to help his son collect his clothes and other belongings. DeRiso maintains that this was when the safe came into Robinson’s possession.

Prosecutors, however, accuse the elder Robinson of taking steps to conceal evidence and obstruct the investigation. He has been charged with felony tampering and hindering apprehension. Robinson is the only nonstudent among the 14 people charged in connection with the broader investigation.

DeRiso declined to discuss the alleged contents of the safe in detail. Authorities have alleged that it contained drugs and cash.

Investigation reaches two Penn State fraternities

The case against Paul Robinson is part of a much larger investigation into an alleged cocaine-trafficking operation involving the Delta Upsilon and Sigma Chi fraternities at Penn State.

Pennsylvania authorities say 13 current or former students were charged over alleged activity during 2023 and 2024. Investigators allege that cocaine obtained from Philadelphia and New York was brought back to State College, cut and packaged at fraternity houses and then distributed primarily to students.

Authorities have alleged that fraternity pledges were sometimes involved in cutting and packaging the cocaine as part of their initiation into the organizations. Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday characterized the operation as a significant trafficking network rather than casual drug use among students.

Penn State placed Delta Upsilon on interim suspension while the university investigates. Sigma Chi is not currently recognized by the university and operates outside Penn State’s official oversight.

Thomas Robinson emerged as a key figure in investigation

The Delta Upsilon Fraternity House is pictured at Penn State, where Thomas Robinson lived until 2024.Google Maps

Thomas Robinson was first arrested in December 2024 after investigators used confidential informants during an investigation into alleged cocaine sales from the Delta Upsilon fraternity house.

Court documents say authorities had received information about a man known as “T-Rob” allegedly selling large quantities of cocaine from the fraternity. According to a probable-cause affidavit, Thomas was so surprised when officers arrived to arrest him that he initially believed his fraternity brothers were playing a prank on him.

The broader investigation later identified Thomas Robinson and Agostino Abbatiello as two major alleged suppliers. Authorities say the pair regularly traveled to Philadelphia and New York to obtain cocaine. Witnesses before the grand jury described Abbatiello as the largest cocaine dealer serving Penn State students, according to prosecutors.

Investigators say Robinson told authorities after his 2024 arrest that he had purchased large quantities of cocaine from Abbatiello, including transactions involving as much as $22,000 for a kilogram.

Abbatiello, 24, surrendered to authorities on Aug. 18 and was denied bail following his arraignment. Prosecutors have described him as being at the top of the alleged trafficking hierarchy, with Thomas Robinson positioned immediately below him.

Paul Robinson remains active at Pittsburgh law firm

Paul Robinson, far left, said he had no idea his son was allegedly caught up in the Penn State drug scandal until he had to bail him out of jail, his lawyer said.Facebook/Paul Robinson

The allegations have also drawn attention because of Paul Robinson’s standing in Pittsburgh’s legal community.

He is a managing attorney at Meyer, Darragh, Buckler, Bebenek & Eck and has continued working while the criminal case proceeds.

The firm has emphasized that the charges concern Robinson personally and are unrelated to its clients or legal services. It said it is reviewing the circumstances but would not speculate about the evidence while the criminal proceedings remain active.

For Robinson, the central dispute now concerns what he knew when he took possession of the safe. Prosecutors allege his actions were intended to conceal evidence; his attorney maintains that he was simply a father helping his recently arrested son clear out a fraternity room and did not know what the safe allegedly contained.

Those competing accounts will ultimately have to be tested as the criminal case moves forward.