A local business owner admitted in federal court yesterday to conspiring to swindle dozens of homeowners out of nearly $5 million, leaving a trail of unfinished renovation projects and hollow bank accounts across North Texas.
Christopher Judge, who operated Judge DFW LLC with his wife, Raquelle Judge, pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud before United States District Judge Terry R. Means. The plea comes barely two weeks after his wife admitted her involvement in the same scheme.
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According to court documents, the couple committed systemic fraud from August 2020 to January 2023. They positioned Judge DFW as a leading firm in custom architecture, construction, and interior design. Christopher Judge misrepresented himself as a certified architect in order to get contracts.
Prosecutors said the plan was based on luring victims with below-market bids. After contracts were signed, the judges received large installment payments. The defendants, however, commingled the funds into a principal operating account rather than deploying them for the planned objectives.
Investigators discovered that funds from new consumers were regularly used to pay for unrelated construction projects or personal expenses, which is a common indicator of financial fraud. The aftermath resulted in a multitude of abandoned employment locations. According to plea documents, more than 40 individuals were affected across six counties in the Northern District of Texas, with at least 24 different construction projects. The overall estimated loss is roughly $4.8 million.
Many victims suffered considerable financial losses, as well as uninhabitable or incomplete homes.
Christopher Judge is now facing a statutory maximum of 20 years in federal prison. His sentencing date is set for May 12, 2026.
Raquelle Judge faces up to five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud on December 17, 2025. She is scheduled to be sentenced on April 14, 2026.
In addition to prison time, the defendants might face restitution orders, monetary penalties, and supervised release periods. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas prosecuted the case.
