More than 10 students affiliated with a social club at a state university in the eastern United States have been charged with trafficking cocaine from their club's headquarters.
According to The Guardian on August 18, Dave Sunday, the Pennsylvania Attorney General, announced at a press conference on the 17th that 14 individuals, including 13 current and former students of Pennsylvania State University and one student's father, have been charged in connection with drug trafficking. Four of those charged are still enrolled at the university.
Among those arrested, two individuals are considered the main perpetrators. They are accused of regularly transporting large quantities of cocaine between New York and Philadelphia from 2023 to 2024. Most of the drugs were sold on campus. In addition to these two, there are other accomplices who assisted in the distribution of narcotics. Eight individuals have been charged with misdemeanor drug possession. Additionally, one student's father has been charged with evidence tampering and obstruction of justice.
The prosecution indicated that the drug trafficking operation was organized and involved two club officers, other members, and new recruits. Sunday stated, "Some new members were involved in repackaging cocaine as part of the initiation process for joining the social club." These new students reportedly repackaged several kilograms of cocaine at a time. One man told the Associated Press that one of the charged students boasted about their social club being the largest cocaine distribution center on campus and flaunted the substantial profits made from drug trafficking. Local media outlet PennLive reported that a police informant was able to purchase drugs six times over a four-month period from the social club's headquarters between September and December 2024.
Authorities have been narrowing their investigation for nearly a year. ABC New York reported that investigators employed various tactics to track related suspects, uncovering the processes of obtaining, repackaging, and selling cocaine. They also discovered that the drug trafficking ring used cash or money transfer applications. Following the emergence of the case, a man identified as the ringleader turned himself in on the morning of the 18th, and his bail request was denied. He had previously missed a court hearing scheduled for the morning of the 17th.
The university has taken a strong stance in response. Andrea Daugherty, the Vice President for Student Affairs at Pennsylvania State University, stated in a release, "We are appalled by these serious allegations against current and former students," emphasizing that "any criminal activity, including drug trafficking, has no place at our university, and we will collaborate with law enforcement to the fullest extent possible." The university also noted that the Office of Student Accountability may investigate the responsibilities of campus organizations or individual students involved in the criminal charges, and disciplinary actions, including permanent expulsion, may be taken based on the investigation's findings.
Additionally, the two social clubs involved are part of a national organization with members across college campuses in the United States. The headquarters of one of the implicated social clubs stated that it would expel or revoke the membership of any member from the university branch involved in the drug case unless they voluntarily withdrew.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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