Secret Service Agent Charged in Fraternity Hazing Case

A U.S. Secret Service agent and two other men have been arrested and charged with multiple felonies in connection with a violent hazing ritual at a Miami fraternity. Marquez Christopher Pinder, 29, a Secret Service agent in the Miami field office, was placed on administrative leave after his arrest on Sunday. He is accused of participating in a dayslong hazing ritual in April that left two pledges with severe injuries, including one requiring skin grafts and another needing a breathing tube. Pinder, along with Jared Lamar James, 26, and Elijah Delano Dyous, 29, face charges of attempted manslaughter, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and hazing with a deadly weapon. The incident occurred between April 1 and 4 at an apartment near the University of Miami, where the victims were allegedly beaten with canes and paddles for failing to answer fraternity-related questions correctly. Police reports describe the injuries as potentially life-threatening, with one victim suffering kidney damage and necrotic tissue. Pinder, described as the 'dean of pledges' for the Miami chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi, has worked for the Secret Service since 2023 and is also in the Navy Reserve. He was released on a $75,000 bond and is scheduled for arraignment on September 24. The Secret Service has stated it is fully cooperating with investigators.