A Secret Service agent from South Florida now faces serious felony charges after authorities say a fraternity hazing ritual left a University of Miami law student with life-threatening injuries and permanent kidney damage.
According to Just The News, court records state that 29-year-old Marquez Pinder was arrested and booked into a Miami jail on counts of hazing, attempted manslaughter and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. Two additional men, who are not affiliated with the Secret Service, were also charged in connection with the alleged assaults.
An arrest warrant identifies the victim as a law student at the University of Miami and names the fraternity as Kappa Alpha Psi, an organization that officially bans hazing. The allegations underscore ongoing concerns about whether universities and national fraternities are doing enough to enforce their own rules and protect students from violent initiation practices.
Pinders attorney, Justic Beckham, argued that his client was grossly overcharged. Beckham further maintained that Pinder has served his country honorably, first in the military and then in the Secret Service, insisting that they look forward to contesting the accusations in court.
Investigators say the beatings occurred on four separate occasions at off-campus apartments in April, suggesting a pattern of escalating abuse rather than a single lapse in judgment. The warrant also notes that a second victim suffered similar injuries, raising broader questions about accountability within the fraternity culture and the need for stronger deterrents against dangerous hazing rituals.
Login