Fort Worth couple pleads guilty to defrauding dozens of homeowners
A Fort Worth couple who managed a custom home-building, remodeling and interior design firm pleaded guilty to charges they defrauded clients of millions of dollars.
According to details released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas on Dec. 31, Christopher Judge and Raquelle Judge, a husband and wife who were managing members of Judge DFW LLC, took nearly $5 million from more than 40 North Texas homeowners for construction and design projects they began but never completed between 2020 and 2023.
Court records showed the defendants accepted installment payments from the victims for the unfinished projects and commingled victims’ funds instead of keeping project money separate. Additionally, Christopher Judge was accused of falsely representing himself as an architect.
The scheme entailed Judge DFW offering below-market bids to the victims, according to court records.
Christopher Judge pleaded guilty Dec. 30 to a charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Raquelle Judge pleaded guilty Dec 17 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She faces up to five years in prison. Both defendants also face monetary penalties.
Raquelle Judge is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas in Fort Worth on April 14 for sentencing. A sentencing hearing for Christopher Judge is scheduled for May 12 in the same venue.