Thirteen current or former Penn State University students face criminal charges over their alleged roles in a cocaine-trafficking ring that operated through two fraternities, Pennsylvania authorities announced Monday.

According to the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office, two of the defendants served as the ring's main suppliers, making routine trips to Philadelphia and New York to obtain large quantities of cocaine. The drugs were then packaged primarily at the off-campus Sigma Chi and Delta Upsilon fraternity houses and distributed mainly to Penn State students.

The operation extended into fraternity recruitment: some pledges joining the organizations were indoctrinated by being made to cut and bag the cocaine, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday said at a news conference Monday.

"This is very serious criminal conduct. There was nothing junior or childlike about this type of conduct," Sunday said. "This was an upper level trafficking organization for this region in Pennsylvania."

Fourteen defendants in total were charged Monday, 13 of whom were Penn State students at or around the time of the alleged crimes in 2023 and 2024. At least four of the defendants are current students, according to the attorney general's office.

Four defendants face charges of felony corrupt organizations, conspiracy and other offenses, while a fifth is charged with felony conspiracy and other crimes. Eight other student-aged defendants face misdemeanor counts, such as possession. One defendant, the father of a student, is accused of tampering with evidence and hindering the investigation. The corrupt organizations count is drawn from Pennsylvania's racketeering-style statute, a law aimed at prosecuting structured criminal enterprises rather than isolated offenses.

Penn State University said in a news release that it is placing Delta Upsilon on interim suspension while the university investigates the incident. Sigma Chi, the university noted, is not a recognized organization and operates outside Penn State's oversight. Penn State's fraternity system has faced heightened scrutiny since the 2017 hazing death of Beta Theta Pi pledge Timothy Piazza, which led to criminal charges against numerous fraternity members and prompted Pennsylvania to enact a statewide anti-hazing law in 2018.

Delta Upsilon Executive Director Justin Kirk said in a statement that the international fraternity was aware of the allegations and that those involved with ties to Delta Upsilon were expelled, or suspended if they did not resign. "We will continue to work closely with the university on any investigative efforts," Kirk added.

The Sigma Chi headquarters in Evanston, Illinois, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The majority of defendants facing felony charges were arraigned Monday morning, Sunday said at the news conference. The charges are accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty; the cases now proceed through the courts, alongside the university's pending investigation into Delta Upsilon.

Source: Fortune