Middlesex Sheriff’s Office Has Made Over 200 Arrests in 2022

MELROSE, MA – The Middlesex Sheriff’s Office (MSO) Warrant Apprehension Unit has made or assisted in almost 215 arrests in 2022, officials announced Thursday.

The Warrant Apprehension Unit is made up of three deputy sheriffs and an officer of the Lowell Police Department who work with MSO’s intelligence analysts, the Inner Perimeter Security Unit, Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section, and other local and state law enforcement.

“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 in a news release. “But we cannot do this important work alone. That’s why our collaboration with our local, state and federal partners is so crucial.”

The Warrant Apprehension Unit has taken into custody several high-profile individuals, such as a 58-year-old Lowell woman who was wanted in Maine in connection with a 1985 cold case involving the death of an unidentified newborn baby.

The Unit also worked with the Lawrence Police Department to arrest a 30-year-old Lawrence man charged with attempted murder and assault with a dangerous weapon in connection with a case from Marlborough District Court.

“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 in the news release. “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 Unit has safely returned 19 wanted individuals to Massachusetts from other states, including 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 in the news release.