x
Breaking News
More () »

Maryland fugitive, an ex-chief of staff, killed after shooting involving Knoxville area agents

The FBI said it is investigating the shooting since it involved an agent. The fugitive, Roy McGrath, was taken to the hospital.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Editor's Note: The story has been updated to reflect it is not clear yet who wounded McGrath, according to the FBI.

The FBI is investigating after a wanted fugitive from Maryland died following a shooting involving agents in the Knoxville area Monday evening.

According to the FBI's Knoxville Field Office, Roy McGrath, 53, suffered wounds during an arrest. It is unclear who wounded McGrath.

McGrath was taken to the hospital with wounds where he later died.

McGrath's attorney, Joseph Murtha, later said McGrath died from his wounds.

"It is a tragic ending to the past three weeks of uncertainty. It is important for me to stress that Roy never wavered about his innocence,” Murtha said.

The FBI said the shooting happened around 6:30 p.m. Specific details have not been released.

"The review will carefully examine the circumstances of the shooting, and collect all relevant evidence from the scene. As the review remains ongoing, I cannot further comment at this time, only to comment Mr. McGrath was transported to the hospital last evening and succumbed to his injuries," FBI Knoxville spokesperson Darrell DeBusk said.

Numerous unmarked black vehicles, Tennessee Highway Patrol cruisers and paramedics were spotted in a parking lot near the Gold's Gym just east of Farragut Monday evening off Canton Hollow Road.

Credit: Submitted

WBIR's Washington, D.C. sister station, WUSA, reported McGrath had been a wanted fugitive since he disappeared in March, missing a court date for an eight-count federal indictment. In that case, McGrath faced charges including wire fraud, allegedly securing a $233,648 severance payment equal to one year of salary as the head of Maryland Environmental Service. He also faced fraud and embezzlement charges. 

McGrath was the former chief of staff for former Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan. Hogan denied approving the severance, and McGrath resigned in August 2020.

The U.S. Marshals Service said McGrath was wanted for wire fraud among other charges after a federal grand jury indicted him on Oct. 5, 2021. In June 2022, a federal grand jury also indicted him for falsification of records.

Credit: U.S. Marshals Service

McGrath was facing a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each of four counts of wire fraud; and a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for each of two counts of embezzling funds from an organization receiving more than $10,000 in federal benefits.

On Tuesday, Murtha said it was "a tragic ending to three weeks of uncertainty" and that he was "just incredibly saddened by the loss of Roy's life."

"When Roy didn't appear for court on the 30th of March, I believed that he may have taken his own life. I was very concerned. But as time passed, and they hadn't recovered him or apprehended him, I was hoping that he would be alive and come back to defend this case one day," Murtha said.

He also said he has been in touch with McGrath's wife to offer help and support in her mourning and taking care of affairs.

Before You Leave, Check This Out