A Fort Worth business owner is facing up to 20 years in federal prison after defrauding nearly $5 million from dozens of Texans using a home building and remodeling scam.

Christopher Judge pleaded guilty to a wire fraud conspiracy charge on Dec. 30, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould announced the following day.

Judge and his wife Raquelle used their limited liability company Judge DFW to deceive more than 40 victims from August 2020 through January 2023, according to court records.

The alleged loss totals $4.8 million.

“Through Judge DFW, they conspired to defraud consumers by purporting to offer custom architecture, construction and interior design / decor services that they never completed,” according to a Northern District of Texas U. S. Attorney’s Office press release.

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The couple falsely presented Christopher as an architect, giving customers below-market bids. Design and build contracts were created for the work.

The scheme involved at least 24 different construction projects, spanning across six counties in the Northern District of Texas, according to plea documents.

“The defendants then started construction projects and accepted multiple installment payments from victims but never completed those projects, often leaving victims without a completed residence,” the press release said.

Court records show that the couple “commingled victims’ installment payment,” using the funds for unrelated projects.

While Judge faces two decades in prison, his wife could serve a maximum of five years in federal prison. She pled guilty on Dec. 17 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The couple also is confronted with monetary penalties, restitution and term of supervised release, the statement said.

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Judge will be sentenced on May 12, while his wife’s sentencing is on April 14. Both will appear before the District Judge Terry R. Means.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Fort Worth Resident Agency and the Euless Police Department, with help by the Secret Service task force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura Montes and Mark McDonald prosecuted the case.

This article originally published at Fort Worth businessman pleads guilty to nearly $5M wire fraud scheme.