Marquez Christopher Pinder and two other men were arrested following what authorities call a brutal hazing incident in Miami. Image is courtesy of Miami-Dade County Corrections and Rehabilitation.
MIAMI, Fla. - A U.S. Secret Service agent and two other men face violent felony charges after authorities said they savagely beat two victims during a Miami fraternity hazing ritual.
Miami fraternity hazing beatings
What we know:
A 29-year-old Secret Service agent, Marquez Christopher Pinder, and two other men were arrested after police said they uncovered evidence of intense beatings with paddles and canes in April. Pinder, who reportedly serves as a "dean of pledges" for a Miami chapter of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, was released from jail Monday on a $75,000 bond.
Police filed court documents showing the paddling took place across four nights at a home and an apartment off-campus. The violence allegedly started when a University of Miami graduate student and another young man incorrectly answered questions about fraternity history.
The physical damage was so severe that both victims required emergency medical intervention, according to authorities. One victim reportedly needed skin grafts on his backside and suffered kidney damage, while doctors inserted a breathing tube into the other victim's windpipe.
All three men now face felony counts of hazing with a deadly weapon, aggravated battery with great bodily harm and attempted manslaughter.
Secret Service agent investigation
What we don't know:
Court and jail records do not list defense attorneys for the two other men charged alongside Pinder.
Officials have not publicly identified the second young man who was hospitalized alongside the graduate student. A spokesperson for Kappa Alpha Psi's national headquarters in Philadelphia has not commented on the arrests.
Official response to violence
What they're saying:
The Secret Service confirmed Pinder has worked for the agency since 2023 and is cooperating with law enforcement.
"Any misconduct will be addressed swiftly and appropriately upon completion of the investigative and judicial process," Michael Townsend, the special agent in charge of the Secret Service's Miami field office, said in a statement.
Miami-Dade County State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle forcefully condemned the ritual in a statement Sunday.
"In Florida, hazing is abuse and it is a crime," Rundle said. "Its victims too often lie in their graves and in hospital beds."
Upcoming Miami court date
What's next:
Pinder is scheduled to appear before a judge for his arraignment Sept. 24.
The Secret Service maintains Pinder on administrative leave while local authorities continue their criminal proceedings.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from a news release from the Miami-Dade County State Attorney's Office, arrest warrant documents filed in court, and official statements provided by Secret Service spokesman Matt Fagiana and Miami field office Special Agent in Charge Michael Townsend.