A U.S. Secret Service agent and two other men have been arrested and charged with violent felonies in Miami-Dade County following a brutal fraternity hazing ritual in April that left two people hospitalized with severe injuries, authorities announced Sunday.
The suspect identified as the Secret Service agent is 29-year-old Marquez Christopher Pinder, who works in the Secret Service’s Miami field office. According to an arrest warrant, Pinder held the title of “dean of pledges” for a Miami chapter of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity at the University of Miami. The two other men arrested are Jared Lamar James, 26, and Elijah Delano Dyous, 29.
The three men have been charged with two counts of attempted manslaughter with a deadly weapon, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon causing great bodily harm, and hazing with a deadly weapon, according to the Miami-Dade County State Attorney’s Office.
The investigation began after Sweetwater police responded on April 22 to a report of a hospitalized student. The alleged hazing incidents took place over four consecutive days, beginning on April 1 at an apartment located at 400 Southwest 107 Avenue in Sweetwater, Florida. The beatings continued on April 2 and April 3 at that same location, and then on April 4 at a residence in unincorporated Miami-Dade County.
According to arrest documents, investigators uncovered evidence of “prolonged and repeated beatings with canes and paddles.” Prosecutors say the victims were beaten after they failed to correctly answer questions about the fraternity and its history.
The injuries sustained by the victims were severe. One victim, identified as a University of Miami graduate law student, suffered kidney failure and required extensive skin grafts to his backside, which had been blackened by necrotic tissue. According to the arrest warrant, this victim “continues to suffer from extreme pain and discomfort” as a result of the alleged beatings. Medical records indicate that without immediate emergency medical care, the injuries would have resulted in renal failure leading to death. A second victim, who is currently employed by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, was also treated for similar injuries.
Pinder was arrested on July 26 and released from jail after posting a $75,000 bond Monday. He is scheduled to face arraignment before a judge on September 24. James was arrested on July 24, while details about Dyous’ arrest have been reported by authorities.
The Secret Service said it is cooperating fully with investigators and placed Pinder on administrative leave immediately upon notification of the investigation. Michael Townsend, the special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s Miami field office, stated in a statement that the agency takes seriously any criminal allegations involving its employees and emphasized that misconduct will be addressed appropriately upon completion of the investigative and judicial process.
Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle used the case to highlight the dangers of fraternity hazing in Florida. She noted that since 2001, hazing incidents in the state have resulted in the deaths of Chad Meredith, Robert Champion, and Andrew Coffey, while seriously injuring numerous others. “In Florida, hazing is abuse and it is a crime. Its victims too often lie in their graves and in hospital beds,” Fernandez Rundle said in a statement. “This case, with the victims requiring hospitalization, provides clear-cut examples of hazing’s danger.”
A spokesman for Kappa Alpha Psi did not immediately return requests for comment. The national fraternity has previously stated that it is a non-hazing organization, and it was unclear how Pinder, who is not a student, came to hold such a prominent position within the chapter.