A Texas couple orchestrated a fraudulent scheme that defrauded over 40 clients of close to $5 million.
Based in Fort Worth, Texas, Christopher and Raquelle Judge promoted their business, Judge DFW LLC, as a firm specializing in custom home building, interior design, and renovations. However, investigations revealed that the couple deliberately took money from clients without any plans of fulfilling the contracted work.
CBS reports that the Judges targeted clients through social media, offering enticing deals of fast service and low rates. One couple alone spent $364,000.
In total, the scams resulted in approximately $4.8 million in losses across 24 projects.
The US States Attorney’s Office stated in a news release that the Judges executed their scheme from August 2020 to January 2023 through their company. Victims were lured with ‘below-market bids from Judge DFW and executed design and build contracts for the work’.
Lane Simmons and his wife, two of the victims, said they were introduced to the Judges’ company via a community social media group, and the Judges’ proposal for their home remodel was significantly cheaper than competitors.
“They came out to our house and really pitched themselves as like this Chip and Joanna Gaines type of vibe,” Simmons told WFAA.
However, the couple’s enthusiasm was quickly dashed as Simmons reported, “everything they did is wrong.”
“Within weeks, my tile is cracking. My floors are cracking. My kitchen floor is sinking in. The exterior trim looks like a child did it. All the framing, we had to re-tear out and rebuild,” he explained.
“My staircase had to be re-torn out and rebuilt. It was only held up by one piece of board on the inside. Just code violation after code violation.”
Similarly, Kristin Newman hired them in 2021 to construct a house for $200,000, though she reported that progress stopped after framing and roofing.
She ended their contract, spending an additional $200,000 to complete the house, which she later had to sell.
In all 24 construction projects involved in the fraud case, victims received ‘below-market bids’, with the Judges explaining the lower costs as a result of their new entry into the business.
Simmons revealed that they paid the Judges more than $200,000 and needed to spend more to rectify the subpar work.
“We had a family friend that’s also a contractor come over and look over everything, and he’s like, ‘Man, there’s a lot of this is unsafe’,” he remarked. “This is like the worst job I’ve probably ever seen.”
Court records indicate the couple used the fraudulent proceeds for personal expenses, including $82,000 on Amazon purchases, $27,000 on mortgage payments, and $10,000 on plastic surgery, as reported by NBC DFW.
Christopher and Raquelle Judge have both pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges, according to federal prosecutors. Christopher faces up to 20 years in prison, while Raquelle could receive a maximum sentence of five years.
In addition to potential imprisonment, both face possible fines, restitution, and supervised release terms. Raquelle Judge is set to be sentenced on April 14, 2026, and Christopher Judge on May 12, 2026.