Arizona inmate released from prison after submitting fraudulent release documents.

An Arizona inmate has been re-incarcerated following an incident in which officials were misled into releasing him based on false legal documents. David Cramer, who had been serving a lengthy sentence for serious charges including kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment, was unexpectedly freed in June 2025. His original release date was set for 2047.

According to reports from Media News Source, three fraudulent orders were allegedly submitted in Cramer’s case, purporting to dismiss the charges against him and facilitate his release from the Arizona State Prison Complex in Lewis. Although these documents bore the stamp of the Maricopa County Clerk’s office, it became evident that they lacked the necessary judicial approval. The release order, which set off Cramer’s brief period of freedom, was never sanctioned by a judge, triggering a subsequent investigation by corrections officials.

In late September 2025, the Arizona Department of Corrections (DOC) confirmed that it had identified the error and stated that Cramer’s release stemmed from the fraudulent court documentation that had been improperly filed and shared. Following this revelation, Cramer was taken back into custody.

As a response to the incident, the DOC has initiated a thorough investigation aimed at ensuring that similar mistakes do not occur in the future. This review involves collaboration with the Maricopa County Clerk of the Superior Court, the Maricopa County Superior Court, and the Arizona Attorney General’s office. Authorities are closely examining the circumstances surrounding the fraudulent documents and how they managed to influence Cramer’s release.

Cramer’s family has come forward to claim that the paperwork responsible for his release is valid. His daughter, Haven McQueen, emphasized that while the documents were not signed by the judge directly overseeing Cramer’s case, they were nonetheless endorsed by the presiding judge of Maricopa County and the executive clerk at the time.

Despite the family’s assertions, judicial officials maintain that the alleged certifying judge did not authorize the release. A review of records dating back to 2012 indicates that Cramer and his associates have previously attempted to utilize fraudulent documents, with judges consistently invalidating these orders. At one point, the clerk’s office even threatened to report these attempts to the authorities.

As the investigation continues, the DOC aims to reinforce safeguards within the judicial and correctional processes in hopes of preventing a recurrence of such an unorthodox case of mistaken release due to fraudulent documentation.