need to know
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Christopher and Raquelle Judge plead guilty to defrauding more than 40 homeowners through their company, Judge DFW LLC
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Prosecutors say the couple abandoned the project, misused funds and falsely claimed Christopher was a licensed architect
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Victims face financial pressure, with some spending hundreds of thousands to repair incomplete or unsafe buildings
A Texas couple who defrauded dozens of homeowners out of nearly $5 million with promises of custom homes and renovations that were never completed has pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy charges, federal prosecutors said.
Christopher Judge and his wife, Raquelle Judge, of Fort Worth, admitted in federal court that from August 2020 to January 2023, they conspired to defraud customers through their company, Judge DFW LLC, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.
Prosecutors said the couple collected millions of dollars in installment payments for custom building, construction and interior design services, often providing below-market bids and then abandoning the projects, in some cases resulting in families losing their livable homes.
“[They] The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas said they began construction projects and accepted multiple installment payments from victims but never completed the projects, often leaving victims without complete homes.
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Chris and Raquel Judge/Instagram
Christopher Judge and Raquel Judge
The plea documents reviewed by PEOPLE state that more than 40 victims were affected in six North Texas counties, involving at least 24 construction projects, with losses totaling approximately $4.8 million.
Documents show one couple paid a judge nearly $364,000.
As part of the scheme, prosecutors said Christopher lied about being a licensed architect and the couple commingled client payments in an operating account and used funds from one project to fund unrelated work.
On Tuesday, December 30, 2025, Christopher pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, a charge that carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Raquel pleaded guilty on Dec. 17 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and faces up to five years in prison. The pair also face restitution, fines and supervised release.
Raquel’s sentencing is expected to take place on April 14, 2026, while Christopher’s will be sentenced on May 12, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Terry R. Means.
Raquel and Christopher’s legal representatives have been contacted.
For the homeowners, the couple’s guilty pleas marked the culmination of years of financial strain and emotional turmoil.
Kristin Newman told WFAA that after paying off her law school loans, she hired a judge to build what she considered to be her dream home. “I was meant to grow up in this house,” Newman said.
She explained that Raquel handled most of the communications, while Christopher was introduced as the “architect and builder.”
It’s the same situation another victim, Lane Simmons and his wife, Kalie Simmons, experienced when they hired the couple to redecorate their Euless home.
“They came to our house…and positioned themselves as a Chip and Joanna Gaines-type vibe,” Lane shared with WFAA, referring to the Magnolia home improvement stars.
At first, progress looks good for both properties. “It was great in the beginning,” Newman said, according to WFAA. “I didn’t have any issues.”
“That first day was really impressive,” Kelly’s mom, Chelle Bish, told NBC-DFW. “They came in with a whole crew. The first day they stripped it down to the studs.”
But things soon changed. “I would say after a month, maybe two months, things started to slow down a lot and we were already concerned about some of the quality issues that my husband and my father pointed out,” Carly said, according to NBC-DFW.
Newman explained to WFAA that her dream home also turned into a nightmare. Construction progress continues to be delayed. Items she paid for, including doors and windows, never arrived. She said when she asked for a return of the missing items and unfinished work, Christopher told her the funds were gone.
Soon Christopher stopped answering her questions. “He just walked away,” Newman said, according to WFAA. “He just stopped talking to us. He never came back.”
Federal court records describe the conduct as part of a “pattern of conduct” by the couple, accusing them of collecting installment payments, failing to complete work, performing substandard work and not paying subcontractors.
When victims questioned the delays, Christopher made excuses through phone calls and text messages, assuring them that continued payments would keep the project going, prosecutors said.
Instead, court records show, the judges spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in personal expenses, including a $27,000 mortgage, $82,000 in Amazon purchases and about $10,000 in plastic surgery bills.
Both Newman and the Simmons hired independent inspectors. At Simmons’ home, contractors found numerous violations, including unsafe framing. The fore and aft decks, as well as the interior stairwells, had to be demolished and rebuilt. “This is probably the worst job I’ve ever seen,” Lane recalled the inspector telling him. “My house – everything they did was wrong.”
According to NBC-DFW, Newman spent $200,000 to complete and repair the home, in addition to the $200,000 he paid the judge. “Ultimately, they just have to frame the house and put a roof on it,” she said.
She has since sold her house and moved in with her parents.
Another victim, Jeremy Congleton, told NBC-DFW he had to file for bankruptcy after a judge abandoned his project. His family of four lived in the trailer for 18 months while he completed the construction of the house himself.
“He owed me, which we paid out of pocket, as well as credit card debt and had to file for bankruptcy, about $250,000,” Congleton told the outlet.
All of the victims who spoke to NBC-DFW said they believed most of their money was gone, but expressed relief that the couple could no longer take on new clients.
Lane hopes their story serves as a warning to others, specifically urging homeowners to consider contractors’ significantly lower bids as warning signs, WFAA reported.
“If someone is cheap, there’s probably a reason for it,” he said.
Read the original article on People
