A Fort Worth business owner has pleaded guilty to a federal fraud conspiracy charge stemming from an alleged scheme that left dozens of homeowners with unfinished custom home construction projects, federal prosecutors announced.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, Christopher Judge pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Prosecutors said Judge and his wife, Raquelle Judge, defrauded customers of approximately $4.8 million through their Fort Worth-based company, Judge DFW LLC.
Court records show the couple operated Judge DFW from roughly August 2020 through January 2023, offering custom architecture, construction, and interior design services that were never completed. Prosecutors said the defendants also falsely represented that Christopher Judge was a licensed architect.
As part of the scheme, victims were offered below-market bids for custom home construction and remodeling projects, then signed design-and-build contracts. Investigators said the defendants began work, collected multiple installment payments, and failed to complete the projects, often leaving victims without a finished residence.
Federal court documents state that more than 40 victims across six counties in North Texas were affected, involving at least 24 separate construction projects. Prosecutors said customer payments were commingled in a single operating account and routinely used to fund unrelated projects.
Christopher Judge faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. Raquelle Judge pleaded guilty earlier this month to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and faces up to five years in prison.
Sentencing for Raquelle Judge is scheduled for April 14, 2026, while Christopher Judge is scheduled to be sentenced on May 12, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Terry R. Means.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Fort Worth Resident Agency and the Euless Police Department, with assistance from the U.S. Secret Service Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark McDonald and Laura Montes.