Brother of Penn State Cocaine Godfather Charged with BUI

Posted in Centre County DUI on September 5, 2026

Sebastiano Abbatiello, the brother of Agostino Abbatiello, the “Godfather” in the Penn State fraternity cocaine distribution case, was recently charged in Centre County with Boating Under the Influence and related offenses.  Surprisingly, the charges allege that the younger Abbatiello was under the influence of both alcohol and cocaine.

Centre County BUI Charges

Abbatiello was officially charged with Operating Watercraft Under the Influence of Alcohol or Controlled Substance in violation of 30 P.S. § 5502(a.3)(3), which prohibits a person from operating a watercraft while “under the combined influence of alcohol and a drug or combination of drugs to a degree which impairs the individual’s ability to safely operate or be in actual physical control of the movement of the watercraft.” Basically, the charge alleges that the pilot was under the influence or impaired to the extent that they could not safely operate the boat.

This is the type of charge that is often filed in cases in which the person refuses to submit to a blood test. Without a blood test, then the police are not able to test the blood and have forensic test results that would show a precise blood alcohol level or whether or not drugs were in the blood. In such cases, the police do not have forensic evidence to show drug or alcohol use, so they rely on circumstantial evidence. With alcohol, cops often testify the they noticed general signs of intoxication, such as the odor of alcohol on breath, difficulty standing, swaying, slurred speech, and blood shot or glass eyes. Many people also admit to having consumed alcohol or using specific drugs. In this case, cocaine was found on the boat, so that would also be circumstantial evidence to support an allegation that the pilot had used cocaine.

Centre County ARD Program

Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition, commonly referred to as ARD, is a pretrial diversionary program that allows a participant to have charges dismissed and then expunged from the criminal records.  With ARD, a person pleads not guilty to the charges, but instead of proceeding to a trial, the person agrees to complete ARD requirements and comply with restrictions, such as no drugs or alcohol. By completing things like counseling, community service, and payment of costs, the person completes ARD and thereby become eligible for dismissal and expungement.

ARD conditions and requirements vary from county to county, and the ARD requirements often vary depending upon the charges and fact pattern in a particular case.  In a drug-DUI case like this, common Centre County ARD requirements would most likely include: 1) 12 months of supervision by the probation department; 2) 60 day suspension of PA driving privileges; 3) payment of approximately $3,000 to $3,500 in ARD costs/fees; 4) completion of community service; 5) completion of counseling; 6) no non-prescribed drugs or alcohol.

Proactive Steps at Treatment to Improve Probability of ARD

Some drug-DUI cases are treated differently than others based upon the types of drugs involved. Marijuana is not viewed as negatively as harder drugs, such as cocaine, meth, and fentanyl. While marijuana DUI cases are routinely approved for ARD, the Centre County DA often mandates that a person seeking ARD for more severe drugs has voluntarily engaged in treatment, such as counseling and attendance at 12-step meetings, before being approved for ARD.

Experienced Criminal Defense Attorney

Situations like this are why it is important to retain a criminal defense attorney that has extensive experience in handling cases in the county in which the charges were filed. Every county has a different DA’s Office, different judges, and different court systems. Lawyers that are not familiar with the local practices often make mistakes by missing deadlines or appearing in court when not required. In this situation, an attorney that was not familiar with the Centre County DA’s policy of requiring treatment would not have their client voluntarily take rehabilitative efforts, so the client would not be approved for ARD. Sadly, the client’s poor choice in hiring the an inexperienced attorney would lead to a bad result. Simple stated, experience matters.

State College criminal defense lawyer Jason S. Dunkle has been representing clients charged with DUI and other criminal offenses since 2004, and many of those clients have been approved to participate in ARD.  Attorney Dunkle uses his knowledge and experience in handling criminal cases to explain your legal rights and recommend a course of action.  If you or someone you know has been charged with a criminal offense, you should contact JD Law by email or by calling (814) 689-9139 to schedule a free consultation.