FBI raids the home of Larry Hogan’s former chief of staff as he is accused of fraud involving $200,000

FBI agents were seen raiding the home of an ex-GOP staffer after he failed to appear for a federal trial Monday over allegations that he used his high position to steal more than $230,000 in state funds.

After failing to show up, 53-year-old Roy McGrath was promptly declared a fugitive, prompting officers to storm his $610,000 Florida home on Wednesday.

Indicted in 2021 on federal fraud charges, McGrath served for many years as chief of staff to two-term Maryland governor Larry Hogan, who left office in January after eight years of service to the Old Line State.

That said, Hogan, a devout Republican who was pinned by many for a 2024 presidential run, saw his last years in office marred by McGrath’s alleged misdeeds — including a $233,647 fraudulent severance package. on the chic political appearance.

That payment arrived in McGrath’s bank account in June 2020, after he falsely told his former employer, the Maryland Environmental Service, that the then-governor had approved the payment.

Indicted in 2021 on federal fraud charges, McGrath served for years as chief of staff to two-year Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (seen here earlier this month), who left office in January after eight years of service to the Old Line State

McGrath would resign from Hogan’s office in April 2020 after the six-figure payment was reported, and months later would be slapped with a fraud charge.

He too faces multiple additional charges of fraud and embezzlement related to approximately $170,000 in expenses that prosecutors say the disgraced aide lined his pockets during his tenure as Hogan’s top aide.

McGrath, who was scheduled to appear in Baltimore Monday for the start of his criminal trial, instead left his lawyer alone on the steps of the city’s federal courthouse, prompting U.S. Marshals to release a wanted poster for the ex- Hogan staffer.

Less than 48 hours later, federal agents were seen swarming the three-bedroom Naples home McGrath shares with his wife, Laura Bruner, as the woman looked on hopelessly.

McGrath was conspicuously absent, however, meaning the manhunt for the alleged fraudster continues.

Prosecutors allege he stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from the state, including the aforementioned severance pay he received after leaving his position as executive director of the Maryland Environmental Service.

The state further alleges that McGrath also lied about the hours he worked during his employment several vacations at the expense of the state.

Feds flooded this Naples home that McGrath shares with his wife on Wednesday, less than 48 hours after he failed to show up for court. The couple moved into a $610,000 home in 2020, after the scandal surfaced and McGrath was released on bail

McGrath, who was scheduled to appear in Baltimore on Monday for the start of his criminal trial, instead left his attorney alone on the steps of the city’s federal courthouse, prompting U.S. Marshals to release this wanted poster later that day.

During those field trips, McGrath’s 2021 indictment alleges, the ex-Hogan staffer spent money earmarked for the state of Maryland on his own “personal expenses.”

Those expenses came to light after an extensive report from The Baltimore Sun in the summer of 2020, which exposed how McGrath had used his position as both director of MES and chief of staff to the governor to “personally enrich” himself with the fraudulent payments.

In The Sun’s report, McGrath’s time as head of Hogan’s office was unceremoniously cut short, after just 11 weeks. He would resign four days later, while facing a federal investigation.

At the time, Hogan, who served two consecutive terms from 2015 to 2023, repeatedly denied knowing or approving of the severance package exposed by the Sun.

Soon, federal investigators found enough evidence to charge McGrath in October 2021, on five counts of wire fraud, two counts of theft and one count of falsifying a document.

Arrested soon after, McGrath was promptly released on bail, although he was required to surrender his passport as a condition of release.

At that time, McGrath moved to his current home in southwestern Florida, in an upscale city known for its high-end shopping and golf courses.

It was there that his wife watched helplessly as FBI agents raided the residence Wednesday morning, where agents were likely looking for clues to McGrath’s current whereabouts.

On Sunday, The Sun published a video showing the raid, prompting a spokesperson for the agency to confirm on Thursday that officers had in fact “carried out judicially authorized activities at that residence.”

The rep declined to comment on the operation when asked.

McGrath’s attorney, Joseph Murtha, would later reveal that McGrath’s wife was cooperating with authorities and was confused about his disappearance.

“She seemed upset and bewildered,” Murtha said after speaking with Bruner.

Murtha added that he had no reason to believe McGrath would choose to skip court, despite facing up to 20 years in prison for each of the five fraud charges, a maximum of 10 years for each of the two embezzlement charges and more. up to 20 years on the count of document forgery.

He said they had a discussion about the case on Sunday evening and that he expected to see him on the steps of the courthouse Monday morning.

The attorney said the ex-GOP staffer would be boarding a plane later that night.

‘I have no idea. I didn’t see this coming,” he said. “This behavior is so unusual for him. It is clear that his personal safety is a concern.’

A spokesperson for the US Marshals Service did not immediately return a request for comment on Friday. Meanwhile, the search for McGrath continues.