Police/Facebook
Francesco Marlett, wife Paula Marlett (top right) and Virginia Pinto.
Francesco Marlett is a married Maryland police officer who was captured embracing a woman, Virginia Pinto, in a viral video. Now his wife Paula Marlett has unloaded about the situation on her Facebook page, Pinto has responded in kind, and the Prince George’s police force says it has suspended Marlett, who is a corporal.
You can watch the viral video later in this story. According to The New York Post, Pinto said the encounter “was not a one night stand” because she has been with the officer for two years. The viral video is not sitting well with his wife, however, judging from her Facebook post.
“Seems like Virginia has a mouthful to give about me,” Paula Marlett responded to the New York Post.
In a statement, the Prince George’s County Police Department identified Corporal Francesco Marlett as the man in the video. ” The Prince George’s County Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division (IAD) is actively investigating the actions of a Prince George’s County Police officer that were recorded and posted on social media,” the department wrote. “The Department is aware of two videos involving Corporal Francesco Marlett and an adult female. As soon as the agency became aware of the first video on Tuesday, IAD opened an investigation and Chief Malik Aziz decisively suspended this officer’s police powers.”
Here’s what you need to know:
The Viral Video Shows Francesco Marlett Embracing Virginia Pinto While on Duty
The viral video appears to show the officer, while on duty, in an embrace with a woman before they get into the back seat of his squad car.
Nelson O filmed the video and told Baltimore Banner that he was at the park with his family when he saw the officer looking “suspicious” and saw the woman pull up.
The news site reported that the pair were in the vehicle for 40 minutes.
“It was concerning because there’s kids around,” he told the newspaper. “It just seemed off because this is the person that you’re supposed to call for suspicious activity doing the suspicious activity, you know.”
Paula Marlett shared the video on her Facebook page and wrote, “There goes my husband and his Mistress.” She identified the woman as Virginia Pinto, which Pinto confirmed.
In her comment thread, Paula Marlett wrote, of news that the video was going viral on X, “I’m not doing OK. It constantly pops up on my f****** newsfeed and I have to constantly re-watch it over and over again.”
According to the Prince George’s County police press release, the chief expressed concern about the video.
“I know the officer’s actions seen on these videos have sparked a range of emotions in the community and put a negative spotlight on this agency and the many hard-working women and men who wear our uniform. I expect every officer to conduct themselves in a way that will not dishonor this agency or this county. I assure the residents of Prince George’s County I take this matter extremely seriously,” said Chief Malik Aziz.
Paula Marlett, the Wife of Francesco Marlett, Lodged a Series of Accusations Against Virginia Pinto on Her Facebook Page
Facebook (Paula Marlett)Paula Marlett
Paula Marlett wrote a lengthy post on her Facebook page in which she named the woman in the video as Virginia Pinto.
“Thank you everyone. Yes this is a very tough time for me and my kids. As embarrassing and painful as this is please check in on us. We need the support the love and most of all the respect from the community and our families,” she wrote.
“Yes I know what’s been going on. No, I am not updating anyone on this situation after today. Virginias husband left her a** a long time ago bc she cheated so she and my husband decided to do this behind my back for years. I’m not seeking anyone else’s input, I don’t need anyone’s opinion. My life is my life. I will make decisions according. I Love you all. Except for you Virginia you can rot in h*** b****.”
However, Pinto responded on her own Facebook page, sharing Marlett’s post. “Not that I owe anyone an explanation, this girl has been cheating on her husband for a while now herself. I know everything. Everyone look this is life and y’all know nothing. I’ve done nothing wrong. All I wanna say is y’all have the wrong info. Paula Marlett isn’t saying the whole story which I understand but please dont be mad at me because your husband wants me,” she alleged.
Francesco Marlett Was Previously Disciplined for an Administrative Charge of Child Abuse
According to the police news release, Francesco Marlett has a disciplinary history with the department.
“In 2016, a previous administration internally disciplined Corporal Marlett on sustained administrative charges of unbecoming conduct/child abuse and unbecoming conduct/assault second degree,” the news release says. “Officer Marlett was removed from the next promotional cycle and fined $1500 for his actions.”
In that incident, according to The Washington Post, Marlett was accused of spanking his girlfriend’s son after the child soiled the bed, and the boy “hit his head against a wall and lost consciousness.”
According to Maryland Judiciary Case Search, in 2019, “a hearing was held in Calvert County and a judge denied a petition for a peace order after ruling there was no statutory basis and again in 2023, after a hearing in Charles County, a judge denied a petition for a final protective order after ruling there was no statutory basis,” the release says.
In both of those instances, “we took these allegations seriously and IAD conducted administrative investigations and ruled the allegations unfounded. In the 2023 case, the ACC concurred with the findings and recommended that the charges were unfounded,” the release says.
In 2020, Pinto wrote on Facebook, “Happy Memorial Day!! Im a Blessed proud Army Veteran.”
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Jessica McBride is a news reporter covering breaking news, politics and crime for Heavy. She is a former reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Waukesha Freeman newspapers in Wisconsin and is a senior journalism instructor at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. More about Jessica McBride
