The FBI has searched Roy McGrath’s Florida home just two days after the former chief of staff took office Maryland GOP Governor Larry Hogan did not show up for the start of his criminal trial in Baltimore on Monday.
Joseph Murtha, McGrath’s attorney, confirmed the search in a telephone interview with The Associated Press Wednesday afternoon and said agents were likely looking for anything that would point to McGrath’s current whereabouts. An FBI spokesman told the outlet that the agents “conducted court-approved activities at this residence,” but declined to elaborate.
Murtha said he had no reason to believe his client would fail in court. He said they had an extensive conversation about the case on Sunday night. McGrath was scheduled to board a plane later that night, his attorney said.
“I have no idea. I didn’t see that coming,” he said. “This behavior is so unusual for him. Obviously his personal safety is a concern.”
GOVERNMENT OF MARYLAND. HOGAN’S EX-CHIEF OF STAFF WANTED BY US MARSHALS
Roy McGrath faces eight counts of federal indictment. Fees include wire fraud. (Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Sun via AP)
According to the outlet, Laura Bruner, McGrath’s wife, was at home in Naples, Maryland, during the raid.
The US Marshals Service released a wanted poster for McGrath Tuesday after an arrest warrant was issued by US District Court Judge Deborah Boardman, who sent the jury home after McGrath failed to show up.
Police searched McGrath’s Florida home and found no trace of him, the Washington Post reported, as he stayed away from court.
McGrath faces eight counts of indictment. The charges include wire fraud, including securing a $233,648 severance payment, equivalent to a year’s salary as a leader Environmental Service of Maryland. He also faces charges of fraud and embezzlement, which involve expenses of around $170,000. McGrath has pleaded not guilty.
JUDGE ISSUES ARREST WARRANT FOR FORMER REG. LARRY HOGAN’S CHEF OF STAFF AFTER NO COURT APPEARANCE
A wanted poster for Roy McGrath, the former chief of staff to former Maryland Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, was released Tuesday, March 14, after he failed to appear in court on federal corruption charges. (US Marshal Service)
McGrath resigned from Hogan’s office several months after the six-figure payment was reported.
A final charge includes allegations that he forged a memo purporting to show that Hogan informed McGrath of his severance package and signed the deal.
Hogan, who was Maryland’s governor from 2015 to 2023, has repeatedly denied knowing or approving a settlement deal McGrath negotiated with a quasi-government agency before McGrath briefly became the two-year governor’s top adviser.
Under the terms set out in his pre-trial release, McGrath relinquished his passport in October 2021. He also had to undergo a medical or medical exam, according to reports from UPI News psychiatric treatmentwhich was later deleted.
Larry Hogan speaks at an annual Republican Jewish Coalition leadership meeting November 18, 2022 in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher, file)
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McGrath’s attorney said Monday he tried to contact his client and his wife after McGrath failed to appear in court.
“I was looking forward to seeing him at 8:45 this morning,” Murtha said on the day McGrath was scheduled to perform. “Most importantly, I’m concerned. I hope he’s safe. These situations are very stressful, the uncertainty of going to court can cause people to do things that many people don’t think are appropriate. We hope he is safe.”
Brandon Gillespie of Fox News and The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Source : www.foxnews.com