Former Maryland Governor’s Top Aide Dies in Hospital After Confrontation With FBI

Knox County Sheriff's Office and FBI officers work in a parking lot area following a manhunt for Roy McGrath, in Knoxville, Tenn., on April 3, 2023. Saul Young/Knoxville News Sentinel via AP

A former chief of staff in Maryland’s government who was wanted on corruption charges died on Monday in Tennessee after he was wounded in a confrontation with FBI agents, according to The Washington Post, citing the former politician’s lawyer.

Roy McGrath, 53, who in 2020 was appointed chief of staff to Republican former Gov. Larry Hogan, was wanted for failing to appear in court in March on fraud charges.

McGrath had pleaded not guilty to charges of wire fraud and falsification of records in October 2021 and was released on bond, but did not appear in court for his trial.

The U.S. Marshals Service, part of the Justice Department, said in March it had initiated an interstate fugitive investigation and published a “wanted” poster for McGrath.

Roy McGrath, the former top aide to an ex Maryland Governor, is seen in this U.S. Marshals Service wanted poster released on March 14, 2023 after McGrath failed to appear in court where he was charged with wire fraud and falsification. U.S. Marshals Service/Handout via Reuters

“The loss of Roy’s life is an absolute tragedy, and I think it’s important for me to say that Roy never wavered about his innocence,” attorney Joseph Murtha said, according to the Post.

The exact circumstances of McGrath’s death are unclear. The Baltimore Sun said he was shot, but it is not clear whether it was self-inflicted or by the FBI.

Knox County Sheriff's Office and FBI officers work in a parking lot area in Knoxville, Tenn., on April 3, 2023. Saul Young/Knoxville News Sentinel via AP

The FBI said in a statement it was reviewing an agent-involved shooting, the Post reported.

“During the arrest the subject, Roy McGrath, sustained injury and was transported to the hospital. The FBI takes all shooting incidents involving our agents or task force members seriously,” the statement said.

McGrath died in the hospital, the Baltimore Sun reported, citing William Brennan, an attorney for McGrath’s wife.

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 former President Donald Trump. But he announced in March, before McGrath went missing, that he would not run.

In a statement, Hogan said he and his wife, Yumi, “are deeply saddened by this tragic situation. We are praying for Mr. McGrath’s family and loved ones.”

McGrath was indicted in 2021 on accusations he fraudulently secured a $233,648 severance payment, equal to one year of salary as the head of the Maryland Environmental Service, by falsely telling the agency’s board the governor had approved it. He was also accused of fraud and embezzlement connected to roughly $170,000 in expenses. McGrath pleaded not guilty.

McGrath resigned just 11 weeks into the job as Hogan’s chief of staff in 2020 after the payments became public.

If convicted of the federal charges, he 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.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.