North Texas couple receives federal prison time for fraudulent custom home projects
North Texas couple sentenced in custom home fraud
A North Texas couple were sentenced to nearly a combined seven years in prison for defrauding victims in a custom home project scheme. FOX 4's David Sentendrey has more.
FORT WORTH, Texas - A North Texas man will spend years in federal prison for his role in defrauding victims in a custom home building scheme, while his wife will also spend time behind bars for the same crime.
North Texas couple sentenced
What we know:
35-year-old Christopher Judge received the maximum six-year, six-month federal prison sentence, followed by two years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in December 2025.
His wife, 36-year-old Raquelle Judge, received a one-month prison sentence, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to the same charge last December.
The couple was also ordered to pay $2.8 million in restitution.
DFW home building scam
Raquelle and Christopher Judge
The backstory:
The Judges were sentenced after their arrests in connection to a Texas-based construction company prosecutors say defrauded dozens of victims from Aug. 2020 to Jan. 2023.
Court documents state Christopher and Raquelle Judge were the managing members of Judge DFW LLC, a company that falsely offered custom construction and interior design services.
The Judges would offer below-market bids for custom home projects in six North Texas counties. After receiving multiple payments, the Judges would abandon projects or fail to complete most of the work promised.
Christopher Judge also admitted he falsely represented himself as a licensed architect.
Around $4.2 million in losses are estimated from the Judges' scheme, which impacted more than 40 victims and at least 24 construction projects.
Local perspective:
A group of victims attended the sentencing on Tuesday, and so many attended that some victims had to sit side-by-side with the Judges.
Defense attorneys claimed Judge DFW LLC began as an honest business, but due to struggles during the pandemic, Christopher Judge made a "series of poor decisions."
What they're saying:
"Fraudsters who exploit hard-working families in the Northern District of Texas will face serious consequences," said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. "The Judges didn’t just abandon construction sites; their entire business model was built on lies and deceit. This kind of brazen fraud strikes at the heart of consumer trust, and our office will ensure that those who engage in such criminal conduct face justice."
Victims told FOX 4 the monetary impact of the scam on their lives has been enormous.
"What each family, individually, has gone through is financially debilitating," Kristin Newman, one of the victims, tells FOX 4's David Sentendrey.
Victims
The couple never addressed the victims directly, only pointing their comments towards the judge.
"I've had some conversations with Chris during the process where I tried to really connect with him, and his arrogance allowed that to not happen," Chelle Bish, another victim, said.
"So for me, everything that he presented was just words to try to convince the judge to get the result that he wanted."
Neither Christopher nor Raquelle Judge spoke to Sentendrey when asked about the sentencing.
Raquelle and Christopher Judge walking to court
What's next:
Senior U.S. District Judge Terry R. Means allowed Raquelle Judge to serve her sentence first, followed by Christopher Judge serving his sentence.
Means expressed sympathy for the couple's four children as a reason for the decision.
The Source: Information in this story comes from the U.S. Department of Justice and FOX 4 interviews.