A young couple from Texas, Christopher and Raquel Judge, pretended to be contractors and defrauded numerous customers of around $4.8 million. They left many homes unsafe and unfinished, reportedly spending the stolen money on personal luxuries like plastic surgery.
Between August 2020 and January 2023, the couple misled about 40 clients, trying to capitalize on the popularity of a reality TV show about home flipping. They falsely claimed that Christopher was a licensed architect under their business, Judge DFW LLC, which only added to the unstable conditions of the homes.
Victims, like Lane Simmons and his wife, were lured in by the Judges’ enthusiastic marketing in local social media groups. “They came to our house and promoted themselves as having a Chip and Joanna Gaines vibe,” Lane recalled. Instead of the expertise they expected, they received subpar work that ended up causing more issues than it solved.
Simmons expressed frustration, noting that within weeks, their home’s tiles and floors began cracking, and structural problems surfaced. “Everything they’ve done to my house is wrong,” he criticized, emphasizing that the work was not just inadequate but, in many cases, dangerous. Looking back, he recognized that the low bid from the Judges was a significant red flag.
Many clients, including Simmons, found that the couple offered surprisingly low estimates for the renovation projects. They ultimately won contracts by claiming they were new to the business and could provide a lower price.
Simmons said he actually ended up spending more than $200,000 to fix the issues the Judges caused. He had to engage another contractor for corrections, and the house was still not safe, contrary to the Judges’ claims at completion. “A family friend, who’s also a contractor, looked at it and said, ‘There’s a lot of dangerous stuff in this,'” he stated.
Another victim had her dream home built from scratch by the Judges. When delays and overbilling became apparent, she reached out for clarification to Christopher, who simply vanished. “He just walked away,” she said, highlighting frustration at how the situation was mishandled. After giving the Judges $200,000, she found herself paying another contractor the same amount to finish the work.
“This is not just about poor business practices,” she remarked. “This is about knowingly lying and stealing.”
One more victim reported severe financial consequences, having to declare bankruptcy due to the mismanagement and deception that left her with an incomplete building.
Federal records reveal the couple misappropriated around $865,000 for personal expenditures, including $10,000 for cosmetic surgery and $82,000 on Amazon purchases.
Simmons joined many other victims in filing a civil lawsuit against the Judges. He even hired an inspector who confirmed that Christopher had been pretending to be an architect. Others experienced similarly shoddy service and unfulfilled promises, with many projects left abandoned.
Raquel pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud on December 17 and could face five years in federal prison, with sentencing set for April 14. Christopher followed suit, pleading guilty on December 30, and is confronting a potential 20-year sentence, with his hearing scheduled for May 12.
