The FBI has raided the Florida home of Roy McGrath, just two days after the former chief of staff to two-term Maryland GOP Gov. Larry Hogan failed to appear in Baltimore on Monday for the start of his criminal trial.
Joseph Murtha, McGrath’s attorney, confirmed the search in a phone interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday afternoon, saying agents were likely looking for anything to indicate McGrath’s current whereabouts. An FBI spokesperson told the outlet that agents “conducted court authorized activity at that residence” but declined to elaborate.
Murtha said he had no reason to believe his client would skip out on court. He said they had a substantive conversation about the case Sunday evening. McGrath was supposed to board a plane later that night, his attorney said.
“I haven’t a clue. I didn’t see this coming,” he said. “This behavior is so out of the ordinary for him. Obviously his personal safety is a concern.”
MARYLAND GOV. HOGAN’S EX-CHIEF OF STAFF WANTED BY US MARSHALS
Laura Bruner, McGrath’s wife, was at the Naples, Florida, home during the raid, according to the outlet.
The U.S. Marshals Service released a wanted poster for McGrath on Tuesday after an arrest warrant was issued by U.S. District Court Judge Deborah Boardman, who sent the jury home after McGrath’s failure to appear.
Law enforcement searched McGrath’s Florida home and found no sign of him, the Washington Post reported as he remained absent from court.
McGrath faces an eight-count federal indictment. Charges include wire fraud, including securing a $233,648 severance payment equal to one year of salary as the head of Maryland Environmental Service. He also faces fraud and embezzlement charges connected to roughly $170,000 in expenses. McGrath has pleaded not guilty.
McGrath resigned from Hogan’s office a few months after the six-figure payment was reported.
A final charge involves allegations that McGrath falsified a memo that purports to show Hogan was informed of McGrath’s severance arrangement and signed off on the deal.
Hogan, who served as the governor of Maryland from 2015-23, has repeatedly denied knowing or approving of a severance payment negotiated by McGrath with a quasi-government agency before McGrath briefly became the two-term governor’s top aide.
Under terms set in his pretrial release, McGrath gave up his passport in October 2021. He was also required, according to reporting from UPI News, to undergo medical or psychiatric treatment, which was later stricken.
McGrath’s attorney said Monday he had made attempts to contact his client and his wife after McGrath’s failure to appear in court.
“I looked forward to seeing him at 8:45 this morning,” Murtha said on the day of McGrath’s scheduled appearance. “Most importantly, I’m concerned. I’m hoping he’s safe. These situations are very stressful, the uncertainty of going to trial can cause people to do things many people don’t think are appropriate. We hope that he’s safe.”
Fox News’ Brandon Gillespie and The Associated Press contributed to this report.