UNITED STATES NEWS

Former top aide to Maryland governor dead after manhunt

Apr 3, 2023, 6:35 PM | Updated: Apr 4, 2023, 8:56 am

BALTIMORE (AP) — A one-time chief of staff for former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan died Monday after being shot when FBI agents confronted him in a manhunt launched when he failed to show up for trial on corruption charges, his lawyer said.

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.

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

According to an earlier email from FBI Supervisory Special Agent Shayne Buchwald in Maryland, McGrath was wounded during “an agent-involved shooting” about 6:30 p.m. in a commercial area on the southwestern outskirts of Knoxville, Tennessee. Buchwald said McGrath was taken to a hospital but did not elaborate.

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

“The FBI takes all shooting incidents involving our agents or task force members seriously,” said Buchwald, who declined to confirm that McGrath had died.

McGrath, 53, was declared a wanted fugitive after his disappearance, and the FBI 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 on March 13, 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 that 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 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.

___ Brumfield reported from Silver Spring, Maryland. Associated Press writer Brian Witte in Annapolis contributed to this report.

United States News

Associated Press

Firefighter’s 3-year-old son struck and killed as memorial walk for slain firefighters was to begin

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — The 3-year-old son of a firefighter was struck and killed in Delaware over the weekend shortly before a memorial walk was to begin to honor three firefighters killed in an a blaze seven years ago, authorities said. The Wilmington fire chief’s office said a group of off-duty Wilmington firefighters, family members […]

3 minutes ago

Associated Press

Editorial Roundup: United States

Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad: Sept. 23 The Washington Post on the U.S. feeding children in 2023 The children’s names rarely make the news. They are the millions of kids in Somalia, Libya, Mali, Haiti, Afghanistan, Yemen and other poor nations who don’t have enough to eat. They were born […]

3 minutes ago

Associated Press

US military captures key Islamic State militant during helicopter raid in Syria

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military said Monday it had captured an operator for the Islamic State extremist group during a helicopter raid in northern Syria. The operator, Abu Halil al-Fad’ani, “was assessed to have relationships throughout the ISIS network in the region,” U.S. Central Command said in a statement. His capture on Saturday increases […]

18 minutes ago

Associated Press

Manslaughter charges thrown out in Michigan prisoner’s death

MUNISING, Mich. (AP) — A judge dismissed charges Monday against six people in the death of a Michigan prisoner who lost 50 pounds over two weeks and died of dehydration while being restrained in 2019. There was evidence of a lack of proper care for Jonathan Lancaster but not enough to send two former prison […]

38 minutes ago

Associated Press

Michigan woman will serve up to 5 years in prison for crash into icy pond that killed her 3 sons

HOLLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — A western Michigan woman was sentenced to up to five years in prison Monday for a crash in which her three young sons drowned after her SUV plunged into an ice-covered pond. Leticia Gonzales had pleaded no contest in August to operating while intoxicated causing serious injury and three misdemeanor […]

2 hours ago

Associated Press

8 injured when JetBlue flight from Ecuador hits severe turbulence as it approaches Fort Lauderdale

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A JetBlue flight from Ecuador to Fort Lauderdale hit extreme turbulence while approaching the Florida airport Monday, injuring seven passengers and a crew member, the airline said in a statement. JetBlue flight 1256 had traveled from Guayaquil, Ecuador, and was headed to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport for a landing shortly […]

3 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

DAY & NIGHT AIR CONDITIONING, HEATING AND PLUMBING

Importance of AC maintenance after Arizona’s excruciating heat wave

An air conditioning unit in Phoenix is vital to living a comfortable life inside, away from triple-digit heat.

Home moving relocation in Arizona 2023...

BMS Moving

Tips for making your move in Arizona easier

If you're moving to a new home in Arizona, use this to-do list to alleviate some stress and ensure a smoother transition to your new home.

Sanderson Ford...

Sanderson Ford

Sanderson Ford congratulates D-backs’ on drive to great first half of 2023

The Arizona Diamondbacks just completed a red-hot first half of the major league season, and Sanderson Ford wants to send its congratulations to the ballclub.

Former top aide to Maryland governor dead after manhunt