Nearly four dozen North Texans are out a combined $5.4 million after federal investigators say a Fort Worth couple promised home construction projects that were never completed.
Christopher and Raquelle Judge both recently pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Kalie Simmons says she hired the couple in 2021.
“Early 2021, I would say. I got recommendations on a social media moms group,” she said.
Simmons, her husband, and her parents, Chelle and Mike Bish, got a quote from the couple to renovate Simmons’ childhood home in Euless into one three generations could share.
They said the young couple was just getting started and provided a bid that was about $100,000 less than another they received.
“It started out great. That first day was so impressive. They came in with a full crew. They had it stripped down to the studs that first day,” said Chelle Bish.
“And then I would say, a month, maybe two months in, things started slowing down quite a bit and we were already worried about some quality stuff that my husband and dad had pointed out,” said Simmons.
Nearly $200,000 later, with about 90 percent of their original bid paid, she said only half the work was done.
The family said Judge left.
An independent inspector then completed a 164-page report, which found, among other things, that the front and back decks and interior stairwell weren’t up to code.
They paid more to have them ripped out and rebuilt.
And they’d soon learn they weren’t alone.
Kristin Newman also hired the Judges in 2021 to build a home from the ground up in Cleburne.
“Ultimately, they only got to framing and putting a roof on the house,” said Newman.
After spending about $200,000, she terminated their contract.
She said it took another $200,000 to finish the project. She eventually was forced to sell and move home with her parents.
“What he owes me and what we’ve paid out of pocket and credit card debt, having to file bankruptcy, about $250,000,” said Jeremy Congleton.
Congleton said Judge disappeared amid his build in Decatur. His family of four lived in an RV for 18 months while he finished the project on his own.
According to federal prosecutors, the Judges defrauded more than 40 victims across 24 properties in multiple North Texas counties.
Court documents show they stole about $5 million, spending $82,000 on Amazon.com purchases, $27,000 on their own mortgage payments, and $10,000 on plastic surgery, among other expenses.
“How can someone do that to another person? It’s not like he knew me from Adam to be able to say, I’m just going to go steal from that person. And I think that’s what’s the most hurtful, you just pick somebody at random to go steal from,” said Newman.
Simmons says her family is among the lucky ones. While her once-retired parents have gone back to work, they were eventually able to move in.
All five victims say they believe their money is likely gone for good. Still, there’s hope for justice.
“At least they’re going to have to serve some time, think about what they’ve done to all these folks, and they can’t do it anymore,” said Bish.
The couple is set to be sentenced in the upcoming months.
Christopher faces up to 20 years in federal prison and Raquelle up to five.
We reached out to Christopher Judge’s attorney, but he declined our request for comment.