An Arizona woman who used fake court documents to secure her father’s early release from prison last year has been arrested in Texas for forging documents in a child custody dispute.
Last June, the Arizona Department of Corrections freed David Cramer 20 years early after his daughter, Haven McQueen, presented fraudulent court documents purportedly ordering Cramer’s release. Law enforcement re-arrested Cramer two months later after discovering the scheme.
The situation spurred investigations by the department, the Maricopa County Superior Court system and the Arizona Attorney General’s Office. McQueen and her associates also faced a lawsuit by the State Bar of Arizona, accusing them of illegally acting as attorneys.
So far, no one has faced criminal charges for fraudulently filing the documents that led to Cramer’s release. A spokesman for the Arizona Attorney General’s Office said its investigation into McQueen is ongoing.
Now, McQueen is again facing allegations she created fake documents in an attempt to game the court system — this time in Texas.
According to a Chambers County Sheriff’s Office incident report, McQueen “sent falsified government documents to the Chambers County Clerk's Office” earlier this year.
The father of McQueen’s children, who lives in Texas, accused her of using those falsified documents in an ongoing custody dispute.
“On July 26, 2026 (McQueen) appeared before the 344th District Court in Chambers County, Texas, seeking emergency custody of minor children based upon a document this Court had previously determined was not a valid court order and expressly prohibited (McQueen) from using to obtain custody,” according to an Aug. 2 filing in the custody case, which is playing out in Maricopa County Superior Court.
McQueen was arrested during those proceedings, according to the filing.
In a July order, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Lacey Fisher determined McQueen filed a fraudulent document ordering the children to be returned to her custody. The document included “a forged signature from the Presiding Judge, Pamela Gates,” according to the order.
McQueen’s attorneys declined to comment on the specifics of the case.
“We remind the public that under the United States Constitution, every individual is entitled to the presumption of innocence, the right to due process, and a fair trial. We expect law enforcement, the State of Texas, and the judicial system to honor these fundamental rights without prejudice or assumption,” said a statement from The Santos Law Firm. “We will vigorously defend against these accusations and will not litigate this case in the press.”
McQueen is charged with tampering with a government record. That can be considered a misdemeanor or felony under Texas law, depending on the circumstances. The charge can be elevated to a felony if a person is convicted of creating a fake government record.
She was held in the Chambers County jail before being released on bond.
“The Defendant has ties out of state, and by the nature of this offense has demonstrated a disregard for abiding by lawful judicial orders,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing.
McQueen and her family members have previously defended their behavior and the validity of the documents they filed, citing the fringe “common law” legal theory, which challenges the validity of the modern court system in the U.S.
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An Arizona woman who used fake court documents to secure her father’s early release from prison last year has been arrested in Texas for forging documents in a child custody dispute. -
Court records show that a group of Arizonans accused of using fraudulent documents to get an inmate out of prison 20 years early attempted to use a similar scheme to free a second inmate. -
Arizona prison officials are making changes after admitting they wrongfully released prisoner David Cramer two decades early as a result of fraudulent court documents filed by his family. But Cramer’s daughters continue to deny they did anything wrong, arguing his release was legal. -
The State Bar of Arizona filed a lawsuit against family members of the Arizona inmate who prison officials wrongly released from custody earlier this year, accusing them of illegally acting as attorneys. -
Records show court officials were aware of David Cramer’s penchant for filing fraudulent documents for years before state prison officials blamed a forged court order for Cramer’s accidental release.
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State officials are remaining tight-lipped about how an Arizona inmate used fake court documents to secure his release from prison 20 years early, but public records and social media posts by David Cramer’s family shed light on how he duped both court officials and the prison system. -
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.
