Marshals Service official sidelined amid alleged role in racist incident, sources say

Investigation and allegations

The official, Marketos, is on administrative leave while an internal inquiry examines his alleged involvement in an incident targeting a Black colleague. Some deputies have referred to the episode as “watermelon-gate,” but the account does not establish who put the fruit there.

It is also unclear whether Marketos placed it or whether another person under his supervision did so. The agency said federal privacy laws prevent it from discussing personnel matters, while describing the alleged conduct as inconsistent with its values of Justice, Integrity and Service.

Concerns within the agency

The incident has prompted concern among deputy marshals, sources said. They view the conduct as incompatible with the service and say racist behavior should not be accepted. Watermelon imagery has a history as a derogatory racial stereotype directed at Black Americans. The allegations have also raised broader questions about accountability and workplace culture among leaders of the federal law enforcement agency, which is part of the Department of Justice.

Leadership transition

Marketos became acting U.S. marshal for the District of Columbia in March 2023 and was named assistant director of the division later that year. Nearly three years later, he was also designated acting U.S. marshal for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Previous roles and family link

His sister, Rose Marketos, is an FBI agent assigned to investigate the so-called “grand conspiracy” case. The inquiry examines whether intelligence officials from the Obama and Biden eras conspired to keep President Trump out of office; the South Florida federal prosecutor overseeing it announced his resignation last week.