Texas couple pleads guilty to $5 million homeowner fraud scheme in Fort Worth

A Texas couple has pleaded guilty to federal charges after prosecutors revealed they used social media to defraud dozens of homeowners of nearly $5 million under the guise of custom homes and renovations.

Accordingly Christopher and Raquelle Judge, a married couple from Fort Worth, admitted to executing an elaborate scheme to deceive customers through their home renovation business, Judge DFW LLC, between August 2020 and January 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas said.

The duo billed themselves as a one-stop shop for custom architecture, interior design and construction services, encouraging clients to advertise their businesses via social media while falsely claiming that Christopher was an experienced architect.

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“They came to our house … and introduced themselves with a real Chip and Joanna Gaines kind of vibe,” said Lane Simmons, one of the judges’ clients. he told WFAA.

Federal prosecutors say the couple would submit below-market offers to clients to secure construction contracts before embarking on projects that never finished and ultimately left victims with incomplete housing.

In the town of Runaway Bay, Christopher Judge was reportedly slapped with a total of 424 citations for law enforcement violations, which ultimately led to the FBI taking over the case.

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Christopher Judge pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Raquelle Judge also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. (Chris and Raquelle Judge/Instagram)

“There were families whose kids hadn’t celebrated Christmas in a year or two,” said Kalie Simmons, another of Judges’ victims. he told FOX 4. “There were families filing for bankruptcy.”

Defense documents show Judges defrauded more than 40 victims involving at least 24 different construction projects in six Texas counties.

Court documents also showed that the duo pooled victims’ payments into their primary business accounts, often collecting installment payments from individuals to finance unrelated construction projects, resulting in a total loss of approximately $4.8 million.

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Federal prosecutors said the duo then spent the money on mortgage payments, living expenses and even plastic surgery, while dodging their victims’ questions about construction delays and unfinished projects.

“You have to be careful about who you give money to,” Roper, former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, told FOX 4. “If it’s too good to be true, it probably isn’t true.”

“You wonder what happens to the money,” Roper said.

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Last month, Christopher Judge pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Raquelle Judge also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.

Fox News Digital was not immediately able to locate Christopher Judge’s attorney for comment. Raquelle Judge’s attorney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

The two are scheduled to be sentenced separately later this year, according to federal prosecutors.