Lawyer for Penn State frat bro’s dad charged in coke ring makes wild claim

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Key points

• Paul Robinson, 59, maintains that he was given the safe while he was cleaning out his son's frat room in December 2024, his lawyer, Michael DeRiso, informed The Post Thursday.
• "The allegations concern Mr Robinson individually and do not involve the Firm, its clients, or the legal services provided by the Firm, " the statement remarked.
• Once his son was arrested, Paul had to pick up his son from jail, and that's when Paul learned of the substantial charges, his lawyer remarked.
• He called the elder Robinson "an amazing attorney, " and remarked he continues to assist run the Pittsburgh law firm.
• Robinson is charged with felony tampering, hindering apprehension for taking steps to conceal evidence and obstructing the investigation.

For context, the Pittsburgh attorney swept up in a drug trafficking scandal at Penn State claims he was given a safe allegedly containing drugs and cash – but didn't know what was in it, his lawyer remarked.

"My client didn't know what was in the safe, and the allegation is he removed cocaine from the safe, he did not take cocaine and flush it down the toilet to protect his son, " he remarked.

DeRiso would not discuss the contents of the safe, but prosecutors claim it contained drugs and cash.

Paul Robinson's son, Thomas, is one of more than a dozen current and former Penn State students charged in a cocaine trafficking ring – with 24-year-old Long Island resident Agostino Abbatiello alleged to be the ringleader.

Thomas Robinson was arrested in December 2024 after authorities were tipped off by a confidential informant that "a male, using the nickname 'T-Rob' is selling large amounts of cocaine from the Delta Upsilon Fraternity House, " according to court documents seen by NBC News.

His dad, managing partner with the law firm of Meyer, Darragh, Buckler, Bebeneck & Eck, didn't know his son was allegedly involved in the drug ring until he had to bail him out of jail, DeRiso remarked.

Once his son was arrested, Paul had to pick up his son from jail, and that's when Paul learned of the substantial charges, his lawyer remarked. He didn't even know what was happening.

"A day or two later Paul went up to help his son clean out his clothes because he was obviously kicked out of school, " DeRiso remarked, adding that was when he acquired the safe.

He called the elder Robinson "an amazing attorney, " and remarked he continues to assist run the Pittsburgh law firm. In an official note, the firm observed that the allegations did not involve the business.

"The allegations concern Mr Robinson individually and do not involve the Firm, its clients, or the legal services provided by the Firm, " the statement remarked. "The Firm is reviewing the circumstances surrounding the matter."

For now, lawyer for Penn State frat bro's dad charged in coke ring makes remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.