Father and Son Face Serious Charges Following College Fraternity Drug Investigation
A father and his college-aged son are facing serious legal trouble after a major police investigation into an illegal drug operation at a university fraternity house. Before these recent events, both family members already had several encounters with law enforcement.
The young man, a twenty-three-year-old student named Thomas Robinson, was one of twelve members of a campus fraternity who were arrested. His father, fifty-nine-year-old Paul Robinson, has also been charged in connection with the case.
Past Run-Ins with the Law
Before the drug sweep at the university, both men had experienced legal issues. The older Robinson, who works as a defense lawyer in a major city in Pennsylvania, was previously arrested for driving under the influence. During a traffic stop, officers measured his blood-alcohol level at more than double the legal limit. He chose to skip his initial court hearing, and though the case was eventually closed, public records do not show the final outcome.
His son, who went by a nickname among his peers, also had prior trouble on campus. He was caught damaging university property, which led to a vandalism charge. He resolved that situation by pleading guilty and paying a fine of nearly five hundred dollars. Additionally, the young man had faced previous accusations related to selling illegal substances, an issue his father would later address publicly.
A Father's Public Defense
After the recent arrests, the father defended his son in a social media post that has since been taken down. In the post, the father expressed confusion and frustration about why his son's past actions were being brought up again by investigators.
In his online statement, the father wrote about his frustration:
- He questioned why a mistake his son made nearly two years ago was being raised again.
- He claimed his son had done everything possible to move forward from that past error.
- He insisted that he had only tried to act in a proper and lawful manner at all times.
Serious New Allegations
Despite those claims, the father now faces several severe criminal charges himself. Prosecutors have accused him of:
- Felony tampering with evidence
- Hindering apprehension
- Concealing crucial evidence
- Obstructing a police investigation
These charges stem from allegations that the father tried to hide evidence to protect his son. Specifically, authorities state he took a safe from his son's fraternity bedroom after the young man was arrested.
The father's defense lawyer, Michael DeRiso, argues that his client is innocent of any wrongdoing. The attorney explains that the father was simply cleaning out his son's room after the arrest and had no idea what was inside the safe. According to the defense, the father did not know the box contained illegal substances and cash, and he absolutely did not destroy any evidence to shield his son from the law.
Details of the Fraternity Drug Ring
The wider investigation revealed how the fraternity members allegedly ran their illegal business. Court documents show that the students made several critical errors that helped police solve the case:
- They used popular, non-secret mobile payment applications to transfer money for transactions.
- They used social media messaging apps to coordinate their sales.
- One member reportedly believed the police raid was a practical joke until officers used a taser on him.
- The leader of the group allegedly used a debt from a spring break trip to force another fraternity member into selling drugs.
Ultimately, a series of highly visible mistakes by the students allowed law enforcement to shut down the entire operation. Both the father and son now await their next steps in the court system as the legal process moves forward.