A Colorado man, Joshua M. Culver, has been arrested on federal charges for allegedly using a forged signature of Chief Justice John Roberts and a counterfeit Supreme Court seal in an effort to dismiss a criminal case pending against him in Indiana. Culver, who authorities say also used the alias “Maverick A. Young,” was arrested Friday in Colorado following an indictment by a federal grand jury in Indiana.
The indictment charges Culver with four counts of falsely impersonating a U.S. officer or employee and one count involving the use of a forged federal judge’s signature and court seal. Prosecutors allege that on September 24, 2025, Culver filed a document titled “Order of Dismissal With Prejudice” in Grant County Superior Court in Indiana, using the forged signature of Chief Justice Roberts and a counterfeit Supreme Court seal.
Prosecutors claim this was not Culver's first attempt to impersonate federal officials. Five days prior to the alleged Roberts forgery, Culver reportedly posed as a National Security Agency (NSA) agent when contacting the Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office. According to the indictment, he used this supposed authority to request a welfare check on his biological daughter and to inquire about her location. He also allegedly sought names and information of sheriff’s office employees, threatening adverse action in his purported capacity as an NSA agent.
The following day, September 20, 2025, Culver allegedly called the workplace of an individual identified in the indictment as “Individual A.” He is accused of falsely identifying himself as a federal agent, claiming the person was obstructing a federal child kidnapping investigation, and stating that the individual could be arrested for a federal felony. He also allegedly asked the employer to intervene to secure the individual's cooperation.
Months later, in January 2026, Culver allegedly presented himself as a “Special Master enforcing orders of the United States Supreme Court” in a communication to the Lake County clerk, directed at a Superior Court judge. Prosecutors state that Culver claimed he had the authority to issue orders and warrants, demanding that the judge and court personnel alter vital records and dismiss cases and judgments against him. He allegedly warned that failure to comply would result in arrests for “impeding a federal agent, lying to a federal agent, and conspiracy” by himself and U.S. Marshals.
In February, Culver allegedly adopted another federal identity, portraying himself as the “Director of Tailored Access Operations,” described in the indictment as a purported intelligence agency. Prosecutors allege that Culver filed a document titled “OFFICIAL SENSITIVE: TAILORED ACCESS OPERATIONS (TAO) COMPLIANCE DIRECTIVE” in a case pending against him in Lake County Superior Court. This document, purportedly on official letterhead, allegedly identified Culver as a “federal asset” involved in multiple investigations and demanded that officials dismiss the case against him with prejudice, quash warrants, and cooperate with a purported “federal audit.”
Culver was arrested on August 21. The Office of the Federal Public Defender for the District of Colorado has been appointed to represent him. The Supreme Court’s Public Information Office, the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the District of Colorado, and the Justice Department have been contacted for comment.