FBI, US Marshals offering $20K reward in manhunt for former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan chief of staff

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Federal authorities are now offering a combined $20,000 reward in the manhunt for the ex-chief of staff of former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who has disappeared after failing to show at his criminal trial. 

The increased reward comes two weeks after FBI raided the home of Roy McGrath in Florida on March 15. The 53-year-old was supposed to be in Baltimore for the beginning of his criminal trial. 

"A federal arrest warrant was issued by the United States District Court, District of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, on March 13, 2023, after he was charged with Failure to Appear," the FBI says. 

The Associated Press reports that the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service are offering $10,000 each for information leading to McGrath’s arrest. 

FBI RAIDS HOME OF FORMER GOV. LARRY HOGAN’S CHIEF OF STAFF AS MANHUNT CONTINUES 

Roy McGrath, then-chief executive officer of the Maryland Environmental Service, speaks during a news conference at the State House in Annapolis, Maryland, on April 15, 2020.  (Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Sun via AP)

McGrath faces an eight-count federal indictment. The charges include wire fraud, including securing a $233,648 severance payment equal to one year of salary as the head of the Maryland Environmental Service. He also faces fraud and embezzlement charges connected to roughly $170,000 in expenses. McGrath has pleaded not guilty. 

According to federal and state prosecutors, McGrath personally enriched himself by taking advantage of his positions of trust as the environmental agency’s director and Hogan’s top aide. He got the agency’s board to approve paying him the severance payment upon his departure as executive director by falsely telling them the governor had already approved the payment, prosecutors say. 

McGrath resigned from his role within Hogan's office a few months after the six-figure payment was reported. 

MARYLAND GOV. HOGAN’S EX-CHIEF OF STAFF WANTED BY US MARSHALS 

A wanted poster for Roy McGrath, the former chief of staff to former Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, was published on Tuesday, March 14 after he failed to appear in court on federal corruption charges. (U.S. Marshals Service)

Joseph Murtha, McGrath’s attorney, previously told The Associated Press that FBI agents in Florida 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 on March 12. 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." 

In a wanted poster from the FBI, investigators say McGrath has ties to Naples, Florida and "should be considered an escape risk." 

Roy McGrath previously served as the top aide to former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, pictured here. (Ronda Churchill/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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His aliases include Roy Baisliadou, Roy Mak-Grath and RC Mak-Grath, according to the FBI. 

McGrath, who was born in Greece, is described as being around 5 feet, 5 inches tall and weighing 140 pounds, with brown hair.

Fox News’ Kyle Morris and The Associated Press contributed to this report.