An Arizona inmate is back in custody after filing fraudulent documents with a Maricopa County court that led a state prison to set him free decades before he was supposed to be released.
David Cramer was incarcerated at the Lewis Prison Complex in Buckeye after a jury in 2014 found him guilty of multiple felonies, including kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment.
According to prison records, Cramer is scheduled to be released in 2047.
But prison officials released Cramer in June, state prison Director Ryan Thornell told lawmakers at an oversight hearing this month.
“Inmate Cramer, through the court system to us, it’s a very complex situation, but submitted fraudulent court paperwork through the court system but also through the department as well,” Thornell said. “And it was calendared in the court system. A lot of fraud, manipulation, other things that took place that led to a release in June of this year.”
Cramer was apprehended and placed back in prison on Aug. 20, according to an Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry press release.
What happened?
Cramer’s escape was kept out of public eye until state Rep. Kevin Payne (R-Peoria) asked Thornell about rumblings he had heard toward the end of an oversight hearing at the Capitol this week.
“I keep hearing about an inmate named Cramer that got out. Falsified paperwork and got a release. What’s going on?” Payne asked.
That’s when Thornell told lawmakers that Cramer had apparently doctored paperwork to claim he was set to be released.
Court records back up Thornell’s version of events.
According to a new filing in his case, Cramer “created and filed fake minute entries with the Clerk of the Court claiming that the Presiding Judge was ordering his release.” The new filing references false documents filed on April 16, May 6 and May 22.
The April 16 document is still labeled as an “order entered by the court” on the case docket.
It is formatted like a typical court order and states an officer in Cramer’s case violated his rights by entering his home without a search warrant. However, it also appears to include language copied from unrelated litigation, including a case from the 1980s dealing with Arizona’s retirement system for public safety personnel.
The other two documents appear to vacate Cramer’s conviction and order his release.
How those fraudulent documents fooled court and prison officials is still unclear.
AG's office is investigating
The Maricopa County Clerk of Superior Court, which maintains court records, did not respond to a request for comment.
And Thornell did not provide much elaboration when speaking to lawmakers, beyond telling them Cramer was back in custody and in maximum security. According to prison records, Cramer was previously in medium security.
“We’re treating it as if it — the same logic as an escape,” Thornell said.
The official statement from ADCCCR only said the fake documents “appeared valid during the initial review, but has since been determined to be falsified.”
“Given the multiple entities impacted, a wide-ranging investigation is underway to identify necessary improvements, including enhanced communication and verification, to ensure this remains an isolated incident,” according to the statement. “This situation has highlighted an opportunity to not only look internally at our own process but also to improve collaboration with the Judicial Branch and other Criminal Justice entities.”
A spokesman for the Arizona Attorney General’s Office confirmed it is investigating the situation.
