BALTIMORE — After a three-week manhunt, Roy McGrath, ex-Chief of Staff to former Governor Larry Hogan, has died after sustaining an injury with law enforcement.
McGrath's attorney Joseph Murtha sent this statement to WMAR-2 News:
Good evening. The FBI has confirmed Roy's passing. It is a tragic ending to the past three weeks of uncertainty. I think it is important to stress that Roy never wavered about his innocence.
McGrath was found near Knoxville, Tennessee according to the FBI.
The FBI said McGrath sustained an injury and was taken to the hospital.
“The FBI is reviewing an agent-involved shooting which occurred at approximately 6:30 p.m. on Monday, April 3, 2023. 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. In accordance with FBI policy, the shooting incident is under investigation by the FBI’s Inspection Division," the FBI said in a statement.
It's not clear if McGrath was shot by FBI agents or whether he shot himself.
This comes after McGrath failed to appear in court on the first day of his federal fraud trial and he's been on the run since March 13.
As a result, a judge issued a warrant for his arrest, prompting a nationwide manhunt.
RELATED: Warrant issued for indicted ex-Hogan Chief of Staff, Roy McGrath, for no showing first day of trial
The Collier County Sheriff's Office conducted a welfare check at McGrath's home in Naples, Florida, but he wasn't there, according to McGrath's attorney.
In a statement to WMAR-2 News, Murtha said McGrath's wife "has expressed concern about her husband's safety."
RELATED: FBI searches Florida home of missing ex-Hogan Chief of Staff
The FBI initially put up a $10,000 reward for information leading to his arrest. U.S. Marshals increased that number to $20,000.
He was also indicted at the federal and state level back in October of 2021 for allegedly stealing more than a quarter-million dollars in state money and spending it on personal expenses.
