A Riverside County couple is facing federal charges after prosecutors accused them of submitting a court order with a forged federal judge’s signature in an effort to regain custody of their four children. Alan David Cadena, 43, and his girlfriend, Laycee Shyann Sprouse, 34, were arrested this week and remained in federal custody Friday, according to MyNewsLA.com.
The couple is charged with misuse of federal judicial signatures, according to MyNewsLA.com. Prosecutors allege that Cadena and Sprouse filed the document on April 21, 2026, purporting to direct the Riverside County Department of Public Social Services to return the children. The federal judge named on the order told authorities two days later that she had not issued it and that the signature was forged, the outlet reported.
How the Case Against Them Started
The allegations grew out of a child-welfare investigation that began in August 2025. County officials cited unsanitary conditions, signs of drug abuse, general neglect and Sprouse’s failure to address mental-health issues when the children were removed, according to an affidavit cited by mynewsla.com. Cadena and Sprouse later lost custody of the four children, the affidavit said.
The couple then filed a civil action against the Riverside County Department of Public Social Services, seeking to challenge the agency’s custody decision, according to the report. That lawsuit became the setting for the later alleged submission of the forged order.
How California dependency cases proceed
According to California Courts, when a social worker removes a child because of immediate danger, the worker must file a dependency petition within two court days. The process then includes a jurisdiction hearing, where a judge decides whether the allegations in the petition are true. Those procedures provide for prompt court review of the allegations underlying a removal while the dependency case is pending.
A Parallel Federal Lawsuit Remains Active
The civil dispute remains on the federal docket as LayCee Sprouse et al v. County of Riverside et al., case No. 5:2026cv00937, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, according to dockets.justia.com.
Prosecutors say the filing was designed to make it appear that a federal judge had ordered county officials to return the children. The judge’s reported rejection of the document came two days after it was filed.
What Happens Next
Cadena and Sprouse were arrested without incident earlier in the week and were scheduled for a joint initial appearance Friday afternoon at the U.S. District Court in downtown Riverside, according to the report.
The allegations in this case concern the document filed in the couple’s Riverside County custody dispute.
