You’ve Heard of #RushTok—Now Get Ready for #FratCocaineRing

Some fraternities, like the Sigma Chi and Delta Epsilon chapters at Penn State, have to fundraise the old-fashioned way: by drug trafficking.

By Claire Guinan  |  August 20, 2026 | 5:00pm
Photo: Steve Wrzeszczynski/Unsplash College
You’ve Heard of #RushTok—Now Get Ready for #FratCocaineRing

If you thought that sorority girls on #RushTok were a stain on public institutions, you were so wrong. It gets so much worse.

This week, 13 frat bros at Penn State University have been indicted on charges in connection with what was described by a grand jury as “one of the largest cocaine dealers at one of the largest institutions in America.” The leader of the cocaine ring was reportedly the 24-year-old Sigma Chi brother, Agostino Abbatiello. Sorry that fraternities aren’t granted the same privileges as sororities with their complicated TikTok dances and Red Bull brand deals. Some of them have to fundraise for charity the old-fashioned way. By drug trafficking.

According to the grand jury indictment, Abbatiello would drive to New York every 3-6 weeks to purchase 100 grams of cocaine. Once back on campus, he would take the product to the frat houses of his own Sigma Chi and Delta Epsilon, where it would be cut and packaged by other pledges. (How ever was he caught?) On Tuesday, Abbatiello surrendered himself to the police and was denied bail.

I haven’t watched the Off Campus show, but I have an idea for Season 2.

Some other details of the case, in order from least to most absurd:

  • Abbatiello was an accounting major.
  • One of the pledges claims that he was forced to deal cocaine after he was unable to repay $1,500 he had borrowed to pay for a spring break trip. (Happens!)
  • “A prominent Pittsburgh attorney” and the father of the accused, Thomas Robinson, was also charged along with his son for attempting to conceal evidence and hinder the investigation.
  • The fraternity Sigma Chi’s “three guiding principles” are friendship, justice, and learning. (Check, check, and check) 
  • I shit you not, here are some of the other names of the frat bros who were indicted on misdemeanor charges: Connor, Kyle, Seth, Daniel, Michael, Liam, and Charles.

“This was a coordinated and highly profitable drug-trafficking crew revolving around two senior members of the fraternities, other fraternity brothers, and pledges,” said Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday. “In fact, according to the evidence uncovered, cutting and packaging cocaine was, for some pledges, an indoctrination into the fraternities.”

So, while sorority initiation at Penn State might involve getting matching sweatshirts, fraternity initiation apparently involved getting matching felony charges—Go Lions!

 
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