“Watermelon-Gate” – Top US Marshal Placed on Leave For Placing Watermelon on Desk of Black Deputy Assistant Director

Peter Marketos, assistant director of the Investigative Operations Division at the U.S. Marshals Service, has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into an alleged racist incident. The incident involved a watermelon being placed on the desk of a Black deputy assistant director, who works under Marketos. The scandal has been dubbed “Watermelon-gate” by some deputies.

• Peter Marketos, a top official at the U.S. Marshals Service, has been placed on leave.
• The leave is due to an alleged racist incident involving a watermelon left on the desk of a Black deputy assistant director.
• It is unclear if Marketos directly placed the watermelon or if it was done by someone under his supervision.
• The incident has been nicknamed “Watermelon-gate” by some within the department.
• The U.S. Marshals Service stated they take allegations of misconduct seriously and that the alleged actions do not reflect their core values.