FORT WORTH, TX – A married couple who prosecutors say presented themselves as a one-stop shop for dream home renovations has pleaded guilty to defrauding more than 40 Texas homeowners out of nearly $5 million.
Christopher and Raquelle Judge built their business, Judge DFW LLC, on promises they couldn’t keep. Operating between August 2020 and January 2023, the couple marketed themselves as offering everything from custom architecture to interior design and construction services. They leveraged social media to attract clients, with Christopher falsely claiming he had architectural expertise.
The scheme worked like this: the Judges would submit bids that came in well below market rate to win contracts, then start projects they had no intention of finishing. Money paid by one homeowner would get funneled to cover costs on completely unrelated jobs. Eventually, the whole thing collapsed under its own weight.
Federal prosecutors say the couple left a trail of destruction across six Texas counties, involving at least 24 construction projects. Homeowners were left with half-finished renovations, drained bank accounts, and shattered dreams.
“There were families whose kids did not get Christmas for a year or two,” one victim told investigators. “Families that filed bankruptcy.”
The operation finally caught the attention of federal authorities after Christopher Judge racked up an astounding 424 code enforcement violations in the town of Runaway Bay alone. That drew FBI scrutiny, and the investigation snowballed from there.
Christopher Judge pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Raquelle Judge entered a guilty plea to the same charge but faces a maximum of five years due to her lesser role in the conspiracy. Both are scheduled to be sentenced later this year.
