Manhunt Launched for Former Chief of Staff

Manhunt Launched for Former Chief of Staff

(UnitedVoice.com) – A federal grand jury indicted Roy McGrath in 2022. Former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan’s (R) ex-chief of staff was accused of a number of federal crimes. Now a manhunt is underway for the former state official.

On Wednesday, March 15, law enforcement officers raided McGrath’s Naples, Florida, home. A video of the search shows armed officers making entry into the residence. The officers were reportedly looking for the accused criminal after he failed to show up for his trial on Monday.

On Tuesday, the day before the raid, the US Marshals Service announced the launch of an interstate manhunt for McGrath. The agency released a wanted poster and called him a “fugitive.”

According to the DOJ, McGrath was charged with five counts of wire fraud and two counts of embezzling funds from an organization that received more than $10,000 in federal benefits. In addition to serving as chief of staff, he was the executive director of the Maryland Environmental Service (MES). He is accused of falsifying a document that was presented as a memo to Hogan. The document even contained a blue checkmark that the former governor often used to let people know he’d seen and approved it.

Prosecutors also believe he fraudulently obtained over $276,731 from the government. In addition to the federal case, McGrath is facing state charges for allegedly recording private conversations with senior state officials, including the governor. Additionally, he’s facing charges for felony theft schemes, felony theft, misappropriation, and violations of the Maryland Wiretap Statute.

CBS News reported McGrath’s lawyer, Joe Murtha, said he had not heard from his client as of March 14. He confirmed the former Maryland official’s wife spoke to law enforcement, but she also has no idea where her husband is.

McGrath is facing a maximum of 140 years for the federal charges.

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