Eight Penn State Cocaine-Ring Defendants Waive Hearings

Eight defendants facing misdemeanor charges in an alleged cocaine-trafficking operation connected to Penn State have waived preliminary hearings, moving their cases toward further court proceedings. Prosecutors say 14 people in total—including six facing felony charges—were charged in connection with a ring that operated primarily through the Sigma Chi and Delta Upsilon fraternity houses. A grand jury presentment alleges that the operation’s suppliers brought cocaine from Philadelphia and New York, which was packaged and distributed largely to students. The allegations against the misdemeanor defendants vary, including possessing cocaine and paraphernalia and, in some cases, buying, packaging, or delivering drugs; the charges have not been proven in court.