Three South Florida men, including a U.S. Secret Service employee, are facing felony charges after authorities said an alleged fraternity hazing ritual left two men with life-threatening injuries that required extensive medical treatment, according to investigators.
The July 26 arrests stem from what investigators described as a multi-day initiation connected to Kappa Alpha Psi that unfolded over four days in early April at locations in Sweetwater and southwest Miami-Dade County.
Authorities said one victim, a University of Miami law student, suffered severe kidney damage that required surgery and skin grafts, while a second victim, a Miami-Dade Fire Rescue employee, also sustained serious injuries that prosecutors said could have been fatal without emergency medical care.
Three Men Arrested
As reported by WSVN, authorities identified the suspects as Marquez Christopher Pinder, 29, Jared Lamar James, 26, and Elijah Delano Dyous, 29. All three have been charged with attempted manslaughter, aggravated battery with a weapon and hazing with a weapon.
Pinder, who has worked for the U.S. Secret Service since 2023 and is assigned to the agency’s Miami Field Office, has been placed on administrative leave while the case moves through the courts.
As reported by the Miami Herald, investigators said the University of Miami law student had previously earned his undergraduate degree from Florida International University, Pinder’s alma mater, before enrolling in law school.
After deciding to pledge Kappa Alpha Psi as a graduate student, he became affiliated with one of the fraternity’s local alumni chapters because he was no longer an undergraduate, according to court records.
Kappa Alpha Psi Claims Suspects Are Not Members
Kappa Alpha Psi acknowledged the investigation but sought to distance the fraternity from the defendants.
In a statement, the organization said it has a “zero tolerance” policy for hazing and maintained that the three men are “not active or financial members” and “do not have an official affiliation with any chapter nor… any official role with the organization.”
Court records, however, allege the defendants were overseeing an initiation involving prospective members seeking entry into a local alumni chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi.
Authorities have not said whether the three suspects were previously affiliated with the fraternity, and the national organization did not address any past membership in its statement.
The Hazing
According to The New York Times, the alleged hazing began April 1 at an apartment in Sweetwater and continued there through April 3 before moving to a home in southwest Miami-Dade on April 4.
Court records state the pledges were quizzed on the fraternity’s history and instructed to hold a half-squat position with one arm extended. When they answered incorrectly, investigators allege they were “struck on their buttocks with a paddle and canes” and “were struck repeatedly.”
Authorities said the two victims’ experiences diverged after the alleged hazing.
Investigators said the law student eventually sought emergency treatment after developing intense pain, vomiting and fever, later learning he had suffered acute kidney damage that doctors believed could have been fatal without medical intervention.
The Miami-Dade Fire Rescue employee was also hospitalized with similar injuries and required intubation, though investigators said he initially denied being paddled when questioned by detectives.
Investigators allege the abuse escalated during the final session, with both men bleeding through their clothing from lacerations.
Suspects Try to Cover Up Abuse
According to the arrest warrant, the beatings stopped only after one victim bled through his underwear and pants. The suspects allegedly instructed the men to throw away their bloodied clothing before leaving.
Detectives later recovered surveillance video, text messages and photographs of paddles wrapped in electrical tape bearing phrases including “kaboom” and “kapow,” according to investigators.
During Pinder’s first court appearance, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy S. Glazer ordered him to avoid all contact with the alleged victims and remain at least 500 feet away from their homes, schools and workplaces. She also instructed him to have “No contact with any members of that fraternity.”
The U.S. Secret Service said it is aware of the allegations involving one of its employees and that “The United States Secret Service takes seriously any criminal misconduct allegations involving one of our employees.” The agency also said it is cooperating with local investigators.
The University of Miami also sought to distance itself from the incident, saying it has no connection to the alleged hazing beyond the fact that one of the victims is enrolled at its law school.
Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez-Rundle condemned the alleged conduct, warning that hazing can have deadly consequences.
“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. She later reiterated the message during a news conference, adding, “Hazing in Florida is a crime, it’s illegal.” She also noted that Florida has strengthened its anti-hazing laws following several deaths linked to fraternity initiations over the past two decades.
As of the latest court proceedings, two of the three defendants remained in jail. Court records indicate they will be placed on house arrest once released as the criminal investigation continues.
