Updated

Updated · WHP Harrisburg · Sep 3

Judge Lets Paul Robinson Felony Case Proceed Over Safe in Penn State Cocaine Ring

Updated

Updated · WHP Harrisburg · Sep 3

Judge Lets Paul Robinson Felony Case Proceed Over Safe in Penn State Cocaine Ring

Q: What exactly happened to the missing safe that a Penn State student testified held thousands in drug money?

The safe was allegedly hidden in the woods after Thomas Robinson’s December 2024 arrest, then later retrieved with help from his father, Paul Robinson; its ultimate fate has not been publicly established. At the preliminary hearing, former Delta Upsilon member Ryan Matson testified that he and another fraternity member drove one of Thomas Robinson’s safes about 30 to 35 minutes north of State College and left it in a wooded area off East Mountain Road, covering it with leaves, dirt and sticks. Matson said he did this because Robinson was worried police would find drugs and money during a raid. Matson testified that a few days later, after Thomas Robinson was released on bail, Paul Robinson contacted him and went with him to recover the safe. According to Matson, Paul Robinson then put the safe in his vehicle, covered it with a blanket, and told him to keep quiet. Investigators later said Thomas Robinson told them the safe had contained about 100 grams of cocaine and between $5,000 and $10,000 in cash, though the defense disputes that there is proof of those contents. Court testimony also indicated Thomas Robinson later reported seeing the safe at one family home in Pittsburgh and then at another in Seven Springs. But no public testimony in the hearing established where it is now or whether it was destroyed, emptied, or turned over to authorities. That unresolved chain of custody is central to the case against Paul Robinson.

3 articles · Updated · WHP Harrisburg · Sep 3

Centre County Judge Brian Marshall held Paul Robinson for court on felony hindering apprehension and related obstruction charges after a preliminary hearing Wednesday.
Prosecutors say Robinson removed a safe tied to his son Thomas Robinson that contained drugs and cash, making the safe central to whether he concealed evidence in the Penn State cocaine-ring probe.
Defense lawyer Michael Deriso argued tampering and obstruction counts should be dismissed because no witness could say what was inside the safe, calling the case speculation.
Texts shown in court said Robinson asked his son's best friend to check on Thomas because he feared an arrest, though the friend testified Robinson never told him to avoid police and urged him to be truthful.
Attorney General Dave Sunday said Robinson chose to contest the hearing while other defendants waived theirs, keeping focus on how far family members may have gone to obstruct the broader trafficking investigation.