23 March, 2023
Members of the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office (MSO) Warrant Apprehension Unit made or assisted in nearly 215 arrests in 2022, officials announced today.
The Warrant Apprehension Unit (WAU) is comprised of three deputy sheriffs and a member of the Lowell Police Department. The unit works in partnership with the MSO’s intelligence analysts and Inner Perimeter Security (IPS) Unit, as well as the Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section (VFAS) and other local and national law enforcement partners.
“Whether it’s through innovative treatment programming we provide within our facility or through the work of our Warrant Apprehension Unit, members of the MSO work tirelessly to maintain and enhance public safety,” said Middlesex Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian. “But we cannot do this important work alone. That’s why our collaboration with our local, state and federal partners is so crucial.”
Among those taken into custody by the Warrant Apprehension Unit in 2022 was a 58-year-old Lowell woman, who was wanted in Maine in connection with a 1985 cold case that involved the death of an unidentified newborn baby.
“The Warrant Apprehension Unit’s success is the direct result of the collaboration and partnerships between MSO, MSP, and LPD,” said Lowell Police Superintendent Barry Golner. “A unit like this could not exist if it were not for the teamwork of all involved. The LPD would like to express our gratitude to the sheriff, the colonel, and their teams.”
The Warrant Apprehension Unit also worked with VFAS and the Lawrence Police Department to arrest a 30-year-old Lawrence man charged with attempted murder, assault with a dangerous weapon and assault & battery with a dangerous weapon in connection with a case out of Marlborough District Court.
In addition, Warrant Apprehension Unit members also worked with the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office to safely return 19 wanted fugitives to Massachusetts from other states. Included among those 19 was a 40-year-old Florida man wanted on nine warrants charging him with 37 felonies and 27 misdemeanors across seven different district courts in Middlesex, Suffolk and Franklin Counties.
“When individuals are able to deliberately evade law enforcement, public safety and confidence in law enforcement is compromised. Our work with the Middlesex Sheriff’s Warrant Apprehension Unit ensures that individuals who flee while facing charges in Massachusetts are returned to appear in court. I am very grateful to all of the agencies who partner to accomplish this important goal,” said Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan.
