Members of the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office (MSO) Warrant Apprehension Unit (WAU) participated in the arrests of 531 individuals wanted on various charges in 2024, including murder, sexual assault, kidnapping, and home invasion.
The Warrant Apprehension Unit (WAU) is currently comprised of four members of the MSO, a member of the Lowell Police Department, as well as two part-time members. It partners with the MSO’s intelligence analysts and Inner Perimeter Security Unit, the Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section (VFAS), the U.S. Marshals Service District of Massachusetts Fugitive Task Force, as well as other local and national law enforcement partners.
“This impressive number of apprehensions made by the Warrant Apprehension Unit and our partners speaks to the high level of cooperation among dedicated law enforcement professionals,” Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian said. “Our daily work with local, state, and federal partners is crucial to making our streets and communities safer. Our coordination with these agencies is made possible by leaders like Colonel Noble, Superintendent Hudon, District Attorney Ryan and others who place the same priority on collaboration that our officers and agents do.”
Among those captured by the Warrant Apprehension Unit and its partners in 2024 was a 21-year-old man accused of killing his 15-year-old girlfriend in Lowell, just hours before her eighth-grade graduation.
“The Massachusetts State Police commend our partners at the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office for their work to strengthen public safety,” Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble said. “The Sheriff’s Warrant Apprehension Unit’s work is important within the communities we serve, and we are proud to work alongside them. The Massachusetts State Police shares Sheriff Koutoujian’s larger commitment to violence prevention through public service and community engagement.”
“We are immensely proud of the work done by the Warrant Apprehension Unit to keep Lowell and the other communities of Middlesex County safe,” said Lowell Police Superintendent Greg Hudon. “This long-standing partnership is a great example of the importance of collaboration between law enforcement agencies. We look forward to the continued success of the unit.”
Working with the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, members of the WAU traveled across the United States to safely return 23 wanted fugitives to Massachusetts from 11 other states, including California, Florida, and Texas.
“When it comes to public safety, our law enforcement partners, such as the Sheriff’s Warrant Apprehension Unit, share our belief that to truly fulfill our charge we must take an expansive approach to protecting our communities,” said District Attorney Ryan. “Many of the renditions highlighted here involve cases with violent gun and serious drug charges. To ensure accountability through prosecution, we depend heavily on the seamless coordination between law enforcement agencies. I am grateful for Sheriff Koutoujian’s commitment to the highest standards of safety and accountability for Middlesex County.”
So far in 2025, the WAU has already participated in over 100 arrests, including the January 16 arrest of a 24-year-old Lowell man wanted in connection with a homicide in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.