Three men, including a U.S. Secret Service agent employed at the Miami field office, have been arrested and charged with violent felonies stemming from hazing incidents that occurred in early April. The 29-year-old Secret Service agent, identified as Marquez Christopher Pinder, held the position of “dean of pledges” for a Miami chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.
According to court documents and police investigations, the alleged hazing involved prolonged and repeated beatings with canes and paddles over four nights at an off-campus apartment and home. Two victims—identified as a University of Miami graduate student and another young man—sustained injuries severe enough to require hospitalization. One victim underwent skin grafts and received treatment for kidney damage, while the other required intubation to maintain airway function. Police noted in court filings that without emergency medical intervention, at least one victim’s injuries would have resulted in fatal kidney failure.
The three defendants face multiple felony charges including hazing with a deadly weapon, aggravated battery with great bodily harm, and attempted manslaughter. According to arrest warrant documentation, the beatings began when the victims failed to answer questions correctly about the fraternity and its history, and continued until one victim showed visible bleeding. Fraternity leaders then allegedly instructed both victims to place their clothing in garbage bags before departing.
Pinder, who has served as a Secret Service agent since 2023, was released on a $75,000 bond and is scheduled for arraignment on Sept. 24. The Secret Service announced it is cooperating with investigators and has placed him on administrative leave. Miami-Dade County State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle emphasized in a statement that hazing constitutes abuse and criminal activity under Florida law, which designated hazing as a felony in 2005 following a fraternity-related death.
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