Influencer home renovation figures Christopher and Raquelle Judge have pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges after admitting they scammed more than 40 customers out of nearly $5 million by taking payments for custom homes they never planned to finish.
Christopher Judge, 35, entered a guilty plea on Tuesday, January 6, to a wire fraud conspiracy charge. His wife, Raquelle Judge, 36, pleaded guilty back in December. Prosecutors say the Fort Worth couple defrauded victims of approximately $4.8 million between August 2020 and January 2023.
The pair marketed themselves online as a high-end custom homebuilding and remodeling business under the name Judge DFW, promoting a Chip and Joanna Gaines-style image across social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. However, all but one of their channels appear to be deleted.
Chris Judge faces 20 years in prison
According to the indictment, Christopher Judge falsely claimed to be an architect and offered below-market bids to attract clients, promising projects would be completed within four to six months. Once homeowners signed on, the Judges required large installment payments sent to their business account.
Prosecutors say the couple never intended to finish the projects. Instead, they diverted client funds into personal accounts and performed limited or substandard work to keep payments coming in. At least 24 construction projects tied to the scheme were never completed, leaving many customers without finished or livable homes.
The Judges allegedly hired low-quality subcontractors, failed to pay them, and repeatedly made excuses when customers questioned construction delays. Victims were told problems would be resolved if they continued making payments, according to court filings.
Federal prosecutors detailed how the stolen money was used to fund the couple’s lifestyle, including $96,000 toward building their own $613,000 home in Keller, Texas, $65,000 in legal fees, $38,000 in rent and mortgage payments, and $10,000 on plastic surgery. Additional spending included Amazon purchases, tuition payments, personal credit cards, and luxury items.
Court records show one victim made 13 payments totaling $263,240, while another paid more than $436,000 across 12 installments.
Concerns about Christopher Judge’s credentials emerged during the scheme. In May 2022, the Texas Board of Architecture issued him a formal warning for misrepresenting himself as an architect. Prosecutors say the fraudulent activity continued until January 2023.
Christopher Judge faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Raquelle Judge faces a maximum sentence of five years. Sentencing is scheduled for April 14 for Raquelle and May 12 for Christopher.
