FBI: Ex-Maryland aide didn’t plan travel for fraud trial

Roy McGrath, a former top official in Maryland who died in an armed confrontation with federal agents last month after skipping his trial on corruption charges, had made no plans to travel to Baltimore for his trial, according to a newly-unsealed FBI affidavit. McGrath’s failure to appear for trial surprised his attorney, who believed that McGrath was planning to fly to Maryland the night before. McGrath, who had moved to Naples, Florida, had long maintained his innocence and was adamant about going to trial to clear his name. However, the affidavit from an FBI agent requesting a search warrant for McGrath’s home revealed that he did not have plane tickets or travel reservations in the days before his trial. Investigators wanted to seize McGrath’s electronics and records related to his travel arrangements, financial records and any evidence that McGrath tried to alter his appearance. McGrath served as former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s chief of staff for just 11 weeks before resigning in August 2020 after it became public that he had received a $233,650 severance payment from his old job as head of a state-owned corporation before moving to the governor’s office. He was indicted in 2021 on charges that he fraudulently secured the severance payment by falsely telling the agency’s board that the governor had approved it. McGrath was also accused of fraud and embezzlement connected to roughly $170,000 in expenses.



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