Top Maryland political aide wanted on corruption charges dies following FBI-involved shooting

Camille Fine, USA TODAY
·3 min read
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A former top political aide to former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan who was wanted on corruption charges died Monday after a confrontation with the FBI.

Roy McGrath, 53, the former Governor's ex-chief of staff, died at a Tennessee hospital after the confrontation in Knoxville nearly a month after a nationwide manhunt for him began. The search for McGrath ended after an “agent-involved shooting” incident, during which McGrath sustained injury and was transported to the hospital, the FBI said in a statement earlier that day.

“The FBI has confirmed that Roy succumbed to the injuries inflicted earlier in the evening. It is a tragic ending to three weeks of uncertainty,” McGrath’s attorney, Joseph Murtha, told CNN in a statement. “I think it is important to stress that Roy never wavered about his innocence.”

Roy McGrath, chief executive officer of the Maryland Environmental Service, speaks during a news conference at the State House in Annapolis, Md., on April 15, 2020. Federal authorities offered rewards of up to $20,000 Tuesday, March 28, 2023, as their search continues for former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s ex-chief of staff, who failed to appear for trial on corruption charges two weeks ago.

An attorney for McGrath’s wife also confirmed with CNN that a confrontation with the FBI had occurred and that McGrath had died. Neither attorney provided additional details as to the circumstances surrounding McGrath’s death, but William Brennan said McGrath’s wife, his client, was “absolutely distraught.”

The bureau’s Inspection Division will investigate the shooting, in accordance with FBI policy, the statement said.

The bureau did not provide any additional details on the arrest, adding that it “takes all shooting incidents involving our agents or task force members seriously.”

USA TODAY has reached out to both attorneys seeking further comment.

When did Roy McGrath serve?

McGrath served as the top aide to Republican governor Hogan for a few months during the summer of 2020.

Timeline of events that lead up to the shooting

  • McGrath was initially charged with wire fraud and embezzlement from an organization receiving more than $10,000 in federal benefits. On the state level, he faced felony theft charges and a violation of the state’s wiretap law, the Justice Department said.

  • McGrath was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2021 on charges that he tried to defraud the Maryland Environmental Service (MES), a state-operated corporation where he served as executive director before joining Hogan’s office, of a $233,647.23 severance payment by “falsely telling them that the Governor was aware of and approved the payment,” according to the Justice Department. McGrath was also accused of directing MES funds to an art museum for which he was a member of the board of directors so as to avoid paying for a pledge out of his own pocket, of defrauding MES to pay for a tuition expense of more than $14,000 and of falsifying time sheets during two vacations.

  • Another indictment in June 2022 added charges of falsifying records.

  • McGrath was released on bond after he pleaded not guilty to all the charges related to the alleged scheme.

  • An arrest warrant was issued for McGrath in March after he failed to appear for his scheduled trial in Baltimore. The FBI had offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.

Contributing: Associated Press

Camille Fine is a trending visual producer on USA TODAY's NOW team. 

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Former chief of staff to MD Gov. Larry Hogan dies after FBI shooting