Former Chief of Staff Dies From Gunshot Wound After FBI Manhunt

(NewsSpace.com) – In 2021, Roy McGrath, former chief of staff to former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (R), was indicted on charges of fraudulently obtaining funds and illegally recording private conversations with Maryland state officials. He was due to attend court on Monday, March 13 and never showed. A warrant was issued for his arrest, and a manhunt ensued. The FBI finally caught up with the fugitive, but it didn’t have a good ending.

On Monday, April 3, the FBI concluded its manhunt for McGrath on the outskirts of Knoxville, Tennessee. When authorities tried to take him into custody around 6:30 p.m., he reportedly sustained a gunshot wound. It is still unclear whether it was a self-inflicted gunshot wound or the result of an agent-involved shooting. He was transported to the hospital but was later pronounced dead.

Breaking – Manhunt for ex-chief of staff to Maryland governor ends in gunshot wound during FBI arrest: Fugitive Roy McGrath found in Tennessee after three-week manhunt ⁦@FBI⁩ https://t.co/oCIzHKRC8y

— Frank Figliuzzi (@FrankFigliuzzi1) April 4, 2023

An agent with the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office, Shayne Buchwald-Nickoles, confirmed that McGrath died of his injuries. There were no details on the incident or what led up to the shooting, which is currently under investigation.

The subject of McGrath’s trial was centered on six federal charges, including falsification of records, theft, and wire fraud. He allegedly conned Maryland Environmental Service (MES), where he worked as executive director, out of $233,647.23, by saying the Maryland governor had signed off on the amount as severance pay. The Justice Department also claims McGrath caused MES significant losses in tuition pay, for which he personally approved reimbursement, and for doctoring records showing he worked while he was actually on vacation. These added up to approximately $170,000.

In addition to federal charges, McGrath was facing state charges, as well, for illegally recording private conversations with high-level officials without consent.

Associated Press reported that attorney Joseph Murtha said McGrath always maintained his innocence and said his death was “a tragic ending to the past three weeks of uncertainty.”