Secret Service agent among 3 charged in South Florida fraternity hazing that left victims hospitalized

A U.S. Secret Service agent is now on administrative leave after he and two other people were accused in violent fraternity hazing incidents that left victims hospitalized, officials announced Sunday.

Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle, Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz and Sweetwater Police Chief Sergio Diez identified the suspects as Marquez Christopher Pinder, 29, Jared Lamar James, 26, and Elijah Delano Dyous, 29.

On Monday afternoon, a U.S. Secret Service spokesman told CBS News Miami that Pinder had been employed by the Secret Service since September of 2023.

Pinder is now on administrative leave.

Pinder appeared before Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Mindy Glazer who set his bond at $75,000 and said he would be on house arrest and have to wear a GPS monitor when released.

Glazer read the charges and found probable cause for them. She ordered him to stay away from the two co-defendants and the two victims in this case, saying, "No contact with the alleged victims either directly or indirectly or by telephone or through 3rd parties."

His attorney Justin Beckham had no comment in court and the judge said, "Mr. Pinder you have a good attorney. Listen to what he tells you."

"The United States Secret Service takes seriously any criminal allegations involving one of our employees," said Special Agent in charge Michael Townsend of the Miami Field Office. "As the Agent in Charge of the Miami Field Office, I have been informed that a local law enforcement agency is investigating one of our employees. We are fully cooperating with the investigation."

In the statement, Townsend said he wasn't able to comment on details surrounding the investigation, but said that "the employee is on administrative leave and has been since the moment we were notified."

"The Secret Service is built upon the trust and confidence placed in us by our protectees and the American people," Townsend continued. "We hold our employees to the highest standards. The Secret Service remains committed to accountability, professionalism, and integrity, and any misconduct will be addressed swiftly and appropriately upon completion of the investigative and judicial process."

According to an arrest report obtained by CBS News Miami, one alleged victim was a law student from the University of Miami in the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, and the second alleged victim was an employee with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.

Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated is clarifying that the alleged hazing incident involved post-graduate adults and an alumni chapter that is not affiliated with any college or university.

In a statement, the fraternity said it maintains a "zero-tolerance policy on hazing."

The fraternity also said the people arrested in connection with the incident are not active or financial members of Kappa Alpha Psi and "do not have any authority to conduct any program or authorize any process on our behalf."

The report said one of the victims bled through his underwear and pants, and that is when the beatings stopped.

The report said of the first victim, "He began to suffer from vomiting, fevers and intense pain to his buttocks…had victim 1 not received emergency medical care, his injuries would have resulted in renal failure leading to death."

The report also said, "Victim 2 was intubated during his stay at the hospital and received critical care to prevent deterioration and death."

The report also said detectives have surveillance video and photos of 2 paddles wrapped in electrical tape and saying "Kaboom" and "Kapow."

CBS News Miami reached out to the fraternity but has not heard back. Its website says it forbids hazing.

CBS News Miami also contacted Pinder's attorney but has not heard back.

Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said, "Hazing in Florida is a crime. It is illegal. We are not going to talk about it any further. It will work its way through the system."

Fernandez Rundle had said in a previous statement, "In Florida, hazing is abuse, and it is a crime. Its victims too often lie in their graves and in hospital beds."

Investigators said the alleged hazing involved prolonged and repeated beatings with canes and paddles. According to prosecutors, the victims were beaten after they failed to correctly answer questions about the fraternity.

According to officials, one of the victims suffered from kidney failure and even needed surgery.

The incidents allegedly began April 1, at an apartment in the 400 block of Southwest 183rd Street in unincorporated Miami-Dade County.

Pinder was arrested on July 26 and James on July 24, according to records. 

Pinder, James and Dyous face various 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 state attorney's office.