A witness testified during Agostino Abbatiello’s preliminary hearing on September 2 that the alleged ringleader of the drug operation focused around three Penn State fraternities told him not to give in to law enforcement.

Lars Zeepvat, a witness during the hearing as well as one of the defendants facing felony charges related to the drug ring, said Abbatiello told Zeepvat, “Please don’t cooperate,” while the two were at a bar on July 4, 2025.

According to Zeepvat’s testimony, Abbatiello had already been notified of a potential grand jury investigation by letter. Zeepvat said Abbatiello told him that he should not be involved, but if he did get a letter, he shouldn’t cooperate with law enforcement.

A few months later, Zeepvat said he received a letter in the mail calling him to testify before a grand jury.

Zeepvat claimed he called Abbatiello shortly after reading the letter, and Abbatiello allegedly said, “Please don’t say anything, please don’t say anything, please don’t say anything.”

Zeepvat, who testified before the grand jury, was identified in the grand jury presentment as a business partner of Abbatiello’s and a fellow member of Sigma Chi at Penn State. Zeepvat joined the fraternity during his freshman year in the spring of 2021 after spending one semester at Penn State Abington.

According to the grand jury presentment, Zeepvat introduced Abbatiello to his source of cocaine in Philadelphia shortly after the two met. They started out by pooling money to buy between 3.5 and 7 ounces of cocaine for personal use.

After the Philadelphia source ghosted them, however, the two Sigma Chi brothers began using a source from Abbatiello’s hometown and started purchasing larger amounts of cocaine.

After multiple joint purchases for personal use, Zeepvat testified that he “saw a difference in [Abbatiello] where he started selling for money and he started selling for popularity.”

Zeepvat said the largest purchase he saw Abbatiello make was for 100 grams of cocaine around the Spring of 2023. Zeepvat, who admitted to having a substance abuse problem during the time of the alleged drug trafficking ring, said it was the most cocaine he had ever seen.

A witness who testified against Abbatiello called him “the largest dealer of cocaine for Penn State University students.”

Zeepvat admitted to being a drug dealer for Abbatiello, and explained he would help Abbatiello sell the drugs for profit because at the time he had “very little personal money,” according to his testimony.

Abbatiello is facing 11 felony charges, including two first-degree and one third-degree. All 11 charges are set to move forward to trial.

Zeepvat waived his formal arraignment, indicated he intends to plead not guilty, and requested a jury trial, according to a Centre County court filing from August 20. He is facing four felonies and two misdemeanors.