Secret Service Agent Among Three Arrested in Severe College Hazing Case

A Secret Service agent has been arrested alongside two other men in connection with a brutal hazing incident that left a college student hospitalized with kidney failure and requiring extensive skin grafts.

Marquez Christopher Pinder, 29, who serves as a Secret Service agent in Florida, has been placed on administrative leave following his arrest. The agency has stated it is fully cooperating with the investigation, according to Special Agent in Charge Michael Townsend of the Miami field office.

Pinder, along with Jared Lamar James, 26, and Elijah Delano Dyous, 29, faces charges of attempted manslaughter with a deadly weapon, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and hazing with a deadly weapon. The charges stem from incidents that occurred over multiple days in early April at locations in Sweetwater and unincorporated Miami-Dade County.

According to arrest warrants prepared by Sweetwater police and Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s detectives, Pinder held the position of “dean of pledges” for the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity at the University of Miami in Coral Gables. The circumstances surrounding how a 29-year-old federal agent maintained such a position within a college fraternity remain unclear.

Prosecutors allege that two victims endured prolonged and repeated beatings with canes and paddles over a four-day period beginning April 1. The violence allegedly occurred when the pledges failed to correctly answer questions about the fraternity.

The injuries sustained by the primary victim proved severe and potentially life-threatening. Medical examination revealed extensive damage to his lower body, with tissue death requiring skin grafts. More critically, the victim suffered kidney failure that medical professionals determined could have proven fatal. The arrest warrant indicates the victim continues to experience extreme pain and significant limitations to his mobility and quality of life.

A second victim initially denied being subjected to hazing but acknowledged seeking medical treatment for injuries in April. Investigators determined these injuries mirrored those of the first victim and were consistent with severe beatings.

All three suspects remain in custody. The national leadership of Kappa Alpha Psi has issued a statement distancing the organization from the accused men, noting they are not current students and possess no authority to conduct fraternity activities.

“Kappa Alpha Psi is a non-hazing fraternity. We neither condone nor tolerate acts of hazing behavior within our organization or from our membership,” stated national president Jimmy McMikle.

The case raises serious questions about the persistence of dangerous hazing practices in Greek organizations and the failure of institutional oversight to prevent such incidents. The involvement of a federal law enforcement officer in these alleged activities adds another troubling dimension to an already disturbing case.

The investigation remains ongoing as prosecutors build their case against the three defendants.