Fort Worth Couple Admits to $5 Million Construction Fraud Scheme
Finn's Take· TL;DR- Fort Worth couple Christopher and Raquelle Judge admitted to defrauding over 40 families of $5 million through fake construction promises from 2020-2023.
- Christopher Judge falsely claimed to be a licensed architect while collecting installment payments for work never completed, misusing funds for personal expenses.
- Christopher faces up to 20 years prison; Raquelle faces up to 5 years; both must pay restitution and face supervised release terms.
The Scheme That Fooled Dozens of Families
A Fort Worth couple has admitted to orchestrating a devastating construction fraud that left more than 40 North Texas families with unfinished homes and nearly $5 million in losses. Christopher and Raquelle Judge defrauded customers of nearly $5 million in total by promising custom home building, architecture and interior design services that they never completed, with more than 40 victims from six North Texas counties impacted across at least 24 separate construction projects.
The couple admitted that from August 2020 to January 2023, they "conspired to defraud consumers" by having Christopher Judge falsely represent himself as a licensed architect. Prosecutors said they lured customers by offering below-market bids and then collected multiple installment payments once construction began, even as little or no work was completed. Court records also show that the defendants commingled victims' installment payments in the primary Judge DFW operating account, frequently using individual victim installment payments for unrelated construction projects.
Real Victims, Real Devastation
The scheme left homeowners with partially demolished properties, unfinished renovations and significant financial losses, forcing many victims to seek new contractors or abandon projects altogether. Victims' stories reveal the human cost of the fraud. One victim, Jeremy Congleton, said Judge disappeared amid his build in Decatur, leaving him with about $250,000 in losses, and his family of four lived in an RV for 18 months while he finished the project on his own.
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. The couple operated Judge DFW, a company that advertised comprehensive construction services while systematically failing to deliver on their promises.
Legal Consequences and Investigation
Christopher Judge now faces up to 20 years in federal prison, while Raquelle Judge pleaded guilty on December 17 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years. Raquelle Judge is scheduled to be sentenced on April 14, 2026, and Christopher Judge will receive his sentence on May 12, 2026.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI's Fort Worth Resident Agency and the Euless Police Department, with assistance from the U.S. Secret Service Task Force. Both defendants also face restitution, monetary penalties and terms of supervised release, officials said.
Protecting Yourself from Construction Fraud
This case highlights the vulnerability of homeowners seeking construction services. The Judges' method of offering below-market bids to attract customers before collecting payments for unfinished work represents a common pattern in construction fraud. Homeowners should verify contractors' licenses, check references thoroughly, and be wary of deals that seem too good to be true.
The scope of this fraud—spanning three years and affecting families across six counties—demonstrates how quickly construction scams can spread through communities. As the victims await restitution through the legal process, their experiences serve as a stark reminder that thorough vetting of contractors remains essential protection against similar schemes.