Roy McGrath Maryland governor ex chief of staff shot dead by FBI after fugitive failed to appear in court to face charges of for wire fraud, embezzlement, misconduct in office and improper use of state funds last month.
The fugitive former aide to Republican ex-Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan was shot dead Monday night during a stand-off with the FBI.
Roy McGrath’s death put an end to a three-week manhunt for him that began after the political aide fled before the start of his trial for wire fraud, embezzlement, misconduct in office and improper use of state funds last month.
FBI agents found McGrath near Knoxville, Tennessee, around 6:30 p.m. Monday, and he was shot and killed during the confrontation, according to his attorney and federal authorities, the Baltimore Banner reports.
It’s unclear if gunfire from the agents or a self-inflicted wound killed the former Maryland governor’s chief of staff.
The man’s death came despite being rushed to hospital, where he mortally succumbed to a bullet wound.
Had skipped trial and was on the run while maintaining innocence
William C. Brennan Jr., the attorney for McGrath’s wife, Laura Bruner, said FBI agents have confirmed that McGrath died at the hospital.
‘It’s an absolute tragedy, the loss of Roy McGrath’s life and the unfortunate events that have transpired over the past three weeks,’ Joseph Murtha, McGrath’s attorney, told the Baltimore Banner.
‘Roy McGrath never wavered about his innocence,’ he added.
Federal law enforcement officials had offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of McGrath, who had been missing since March 13, when he skipped a court date in Baltimore, leading US District Judge Deborah Boardman to issue an arrest warrant.
Prosecutors allege that McGrath, the former head of Maryland Environmental Service, falsified documents and fraudulently obtained a severance payment of $233,647 (equal to one year of salary) when he left his post at the agency to take the job as Hogan’s chief of staff in 2020.
He served 11 weeks as Hogan’s chief of staff before resigning in August 2020.
McGrath was also accused of fraud and embezzlement connected to roughly $170,000 in expenses that prosecutors say the disgraced aide lined his pockets during his tenure as Hogan’s top aide.
The state further alleged how McGrath also lied about the hours he worked over the course of his employment as Hogan’s chief aide, taking multiple vacations on the state’s dime.
Faced at least 20 years jail if convicted
During those excursions, McGrath’s 2021 indictment alleges, the ex-Hogan staffer spent funds designated for the state of Maryland on his own ‘personal expenses.’
The Naples, Florida, resident had previously pleaded not guilty to all charges in October 2021.
A judge granted McGrath pre-trial release on the condition that he appear for future court dates.
If convicted of the federal charges, McGrath would have faced a maximum sentence of 20 years for each of four counts of wire fraud, plus a maximum of 10 years for each of two counts of embezzling funds from an organization receiving more than $10,000 in federal benefits.
Hogan, who served as Maryland’s governor from 2015 to 2023, had considered running for the 2024 Republican nomination for president as a critic of Donald Trump. But Hogan announced last month before McGrath went missing that he would not run.
