“The FBI takes all shootings involving our agents or task force members seriously,” Buchwald said.
McGrath, 53, served as chief of staff to former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan. He was declared a wanted fugitive after his disappearance, and the FBI said he was considered an international flight risk.
After McGrath failed to appear in federal court in Baltimore on March 13, attorney Joseph Murtha said he believed McGrath, who had traveled to Naples, Florida, planned to fly to Maryland the night before. Rather than begin jury selection, a judge issued an arrest warrant and removed prospective jurors.
“I don’t have a clue. I didn’t see this coming,” Murthy said a few days later. “This behavior is very unusual for him. Obviously his personal safety is a concern.
McGrath was indicted in 2021 on charges of fraudulently receiving $233,648 in severance pay, the equivalent of a year’s salary as head of the Maryland Environmental Service. He was charged with fraud and embezzlement of approximately $170,000. McGrath is innocent.
McGrath resigned in 2020 after 11 weeks as Hogan’s chief of staff.
If convicted of the federal charges, he faces a maximum of 20 years in prison on four counts of wire fraud and a maximum of 10 years on two counts of embezzling funds from an organization that receives more than $10,000 in federal benefits.
