A Texas couple has admitted to federal charges after authorities exposed their use of social media to scam homeowners out of nearly $5 million, promising custom homes and renovations.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas reported that Christopher and Raquelle Judge, residents of Fort Worth, confessed to orchestrating a complex scheme to defraud clients through their business, Judge DFW LLC, between August 2020 and January 2023.
Promoting themselves as a comprehensive provider of custom architecture, interior design, and construction services, the couple attracted customers via social media. They falsely advertised Christopher as a skilled architect to entice potential clients.
Christopher and Raquelle Judge have admitted to federal offenses after prosecutors discovered a fraud operation that bilked nearly $5 million from numerous Texas homeowners through fraudulent renovation ventures.
One of their clients, Lane Simmons, shared with WFAA, “They came out to our house… and really pitched themselves as like this Chip and Joanna Gaines type of vibe.”
According to federal prosecutors, the Judges would entice clients with low bids to win contracts. However, they failed to complete the projects, leaving many victims with unfinished homes.
In the town of Runaway Bay, Christopher Judge reportedly was slapped with a total of 424 citations for code enforcement violations, which ultimately led to the FBI taking up the case.
Christopher Judge pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and faces up to 20 years behind bars in federal prison. Raquelle Judge also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which has a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. (Chris And Raquelle Judge/Instagram)
“There were families whose kids did not get Christmas for a year or two,” Kalie Simmons, another victim of the Judges, told FOX 4. “There were families that filed bankruptcy.”
Plea documents indicate the Judges defrauded over 40 victims throughout six Texas counties, involving at least 24 different construction projects.
Court documents also showed the pair commingled victims’ payments in their primary business account, often pulling installment payments from individuals to fund unrelated construction projects – amassing a total of around $4.8 million in losses.
Federal prosecutors say the pair then spent the money on mortgage payments, living expenses and even plastic surgery while evading questions from their victims regarding delays in construction and incomplete projects.
“You just need to be careful about who you give the money to,” Roper, a former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, told FOX 4. “If it’s too good to be true, it’s probably not true.”
“You gotta wonder what happened to the money,” Roper said.
Last month, Christopher Judge pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and faces up to 20 years behind bars in federal prison. Raquelle Judge also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which has a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
Fox News Digital was unable to immediately locate Christopher Judge’s attorney for comment. Raquelle Judge’s attorney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
The pair is scheduled to be sentenced separately later this year, according to federal prosecutors.
