Fugitive dies after armed confrontation with FBI near Farragut

A former Maryland political aide wanted on corruption charges died after he was wounded while being confronted April 3 by law enforcement agents in Knox County, his lawyer said, following a manhunt that was launched when the man failed to appear for trial.

Attorney Joseph Murtha said the FBI confirmed Roy McGrath’s death to him. He added that it was not immediately clear if McGrath’s wound was self-inflicted or came during an exchange of gunfire with agents.

McGrath, the chief of staff to former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, was supposed to stand trial on fraud charges in the U.S. District Court in Baltimore on March 13, according to the Baltimore Sun. He never showed up.

McGrath was wounded around 6:30 p.m. in a Farragut strip mall parking lot. FBI Supervisory Special Agent Shayne Buchwald in Maryland said McGrath was taken to a hospital.

Further details, including how McGrath was wounded and what led up to it, were not immediately released. The shooting is under investigation.

William Brennan, an attorney for McGrath’s wife, Laura Bruner, also confirmed the death and said she was “absolutely distraught.”

McGrath, 53, was declared a wanted fugitive after his disappearance, and the FBI has said he was considered an international flight risk.

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.”

Murtha called the death “a tragic ending to the past three weeks of uncertainty” and said his client always maintained his innocence.

After McGrath failed to appear at Baltimore’s federal courthouse in March, Murtha said he believed McGrath, who had moved to Naples, Florida, was planning to fly to Maryland the night before. Instead of beginning jury selection, a judge issued an arrest warrant and dismissed prospective jurors.

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 Maryland Environmental Service, by falsely telling the agency’s board the governor had approved it. He also was 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.

Associated Press writer Brian Witte in Annapolis contributed to this report. Baltimore Sun writers Alex Mann, Lee O. Sanderlin and Hannah Gaskill contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Fugitive dies after armed confrontation with FBI near Farragut