A Fort Worth business owner has pleaded guilty to a federal wire fraud conspiracy after authorities say he and his wife took nearly $5 million from dozens of North Texas homeowners for custom homebuilding and remodeling projects that were never completed, the Department of Justice announced Wednesday.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas, Christopher Judge admitted to conspiring to defraud customers through his company, Judge DFW LLC, between August 2020 and January 2023. Prosecutors said victims were left with unfinished construction projects, and in some cases, without completed residences, after paying large sums of money.

The DOJ said court records show Judge and his wife, Raquelle Judge, both of Fort Worth, served as managing members of Judge DFW LLC, which claimed to offer custom architecture, construction and interior design services. The couple lied when they said that Christopher Judge was an architect and used below-market bids to entice customers into signing design-and-build contracts, according to authorities.

Dozens of homeowners affected across North Texas

Investigators said the Judges would begin construction, collect multiple installment payments, and then abandon projects before completion. More than 40 victims across six counties in the Northern District of Texas were affected, spanning at least 24 separate construction projects, according to plea documents.

Prosecutors also said the couple deposited customer payments in the company's primary operating account, often using money from one victim to fund unrelated construction jobs. The total alleged loss is approximately $4.8 million, the DOJ said.

Christopher Judge pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Raquelle Judge previously pleaded guilty on Dec. 17 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years.

Both defendants also face potential monetary penalties, authorities said.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Euless Police Department, with assistance from the U.S. Secret Service Task Force.