This Week's 'Fugitive of the Week' Arrested in Hooksett

Concord, NH – Last night, this week’s “Fugitive of the Week,” Jonathan Benedict was arrested in Hooksett, NH by members of the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force. Benedict, 28, was last known to reside in Concord, NH, and was being sought on an outstanding Merrimack County warrant for probation violations, stemming from an original conviction for burglary. Additionally, Benedict has a suspended 2-4 year sentence out of Belknap County for being a felon in possession of a firearm. The Belknap County attorney has filed a motion to impose this suspended sentence as a result of Benedict’s violations.

As part of the U.S. Marshals fugitive investigation, Benedict was selected to be featured as this week’s “Fugitive of the Week” on October 30th. The “Fugitive of the Week” is broadcast on WTPL-FM, WMUR-TV, The Union Leader, The Nashua Telegraph, The Patch, Foster’s Daily Democrat and is prominently featured on the internet. The “Fugitive of the Week” has been a very successful tool that has resulted in the location and arrest of numerous fugitives since its implementation in 2007.

Several tips came in to the fugitive task force after Benedict was featured as the “Fugitive of the Week.” All of these tips were investigated and eventually led investigators to an apartment building in Hooksett on Route 3A. While conducting interviews at this apartment building, Benedict arrived in a car with a friend. Members of the fugitive task force quickly apprehended Benedict without incident, while he was seated in this car. Benedict was transported to the Merrimack County Jail, were he is being held without bail on his probation violations warrant pending his initial court appearance.

Several member agencies of the NH Joint Fugitive Task Force assisted in this investigation, including; deputies from the Merrimack and Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office, the Belknap County Attorney’s Office, the Pittsfield and Barnstead Police Departments, along with deputy U.S. Marshals. Without the combined efforts of all of these agencies, and the tips from the public, this arrest would not have been possible.

Since the inception of the New Hampshire Joint Fugitive Task Force in 2002, these partnerships have resulted in over 5,801 arrests (Updated as of 08/13/2014). These arrests have ranged in seriousness from murder, assault, unregistered sex offenders, probation and parole violations and numerous other serious offenses. Nationally the United States Marshals Service fugitive programs are carried out with local law enforcement in 94 district offices, 85 local fugitive task forces, 7 regional task forces, as well as a growing network of offices in foreign countries.