Christopher, Raquelle Judge: Texas influencer couple pleads guilty to nearly $5M swindle in home renovation scams

An influencer couple from Texas has admitted to defrauding over 40 individuals out of $5 million through deceitful home renovation schemes.

Chris and Raquelle Judge, who are well-known for their social media presence, promised clients top-notch home remodels but failed to deliver.

Although Chris Judge presented himself as an architect, prosecutors revealed that he lacked the credentials for such a title.

One of their victims, Kristen Newman, recounted her disappointing experience after hiring the couple to construct her dream home.

“He just disappeared, stopped communicating with us, and it turned into a nightmare,” Newman shared.

Authorities have reported that the couple lured clients with claims of custom architecture, construction, and interior design services at prices below the market average.

Christopher and Raquelle Judge pleaded guilty to conning dozens of clients.
Christopher and Raquelle Judge pleaded guilty to conning dozens of clients.

“This isn’t just a bad business decision,” Newman said. “He chose to lie, he chose to steal.”

Lane Simmons and his wife said they paid them about $200,000 to remodel their home.

“They really pitched themselves as this ‘Chip and Joanna Gaines’ type of vibe,” Simmons said. “My house, everything they did was wrong. We had a family friend come over who’s also a contractor to look at everything and he’s like ‘a lot of this is unsafe; it’s like the worst job I’ve probably ever seen.’”

Prosecutors say the guilty couple used some of their nearly $5 million swindle on personal mortgage payments and plastic surgery.

Christopher Judge faces up to 20 years in prison.

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