Texas couple labeled fake ‘Chip and Joanna Gaines’ admits $5M dream home renovation scam

A Texas mates has pleaded blameworthy to national charges aft prosecutors revealed they utilized societal media to defraud dozens of homeowners retired of astir $5 cardinal nether the guise of customized homes and renovations. 

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, Christopher and Raquelle Judge, a joined mates from Fort Worth, admitted to carrying retired an elaborate strategy to deceive customers done their location renovation business, Judge DFW LLC, betwixt August 2020 and January 2023. 

The brace billed themselves arsenic a one-stop store for customized architecture, interior plan and operation services, luring customers done societal media to advertise their concern portion falsely claiming Christopher was an experienced architect. 

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Christopher and Raquelle Judge pleaded blameworthy to national charges aft prosecutors uncovered a astir $5 cardinal fraud strategy successful which the mates scammed dozens of Texas homeowners implicit fake renovation projects. (Chris And Raquelle Judge/Instagram)

"They came retired to our house… and truly pitched themselves arsenic similar this Chip and Joanna Gaines benignant of vibe," Lane Simmons, 1 of the Judges’ clients, told WFAA.

Federal prosecutors revealed the mates would contiguous clients with below-market bids to unafraid gathering contracts, earlier starting projects that were ne'er finished and yet near victims with incomplete residences. 

In the municipality of Runaway Bay, Christopher Judge reportedly was slapped with a full of 424 citations for codification enforcement violations, which yet led to the FBI taking up the case.

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Christopher Judge pleaded blameworthy to conspiracy to perpetrate ligament fraud and faces up to 20 years down bars successful national prison. Raquelle Judge besides pleaded blameworthy to 1 number of conspiracy to perpetrate ligament fraud, which has a maximum condemnation of 5 years successful national prison.  (Chris And Raquelle Judge/Instagram)

"There were families whose kids did not get Christmas for a twelvemonth oregon two," Kalie Simmons, different unfortunate of the Judges, told FOX 4. "There were families that filed bankruptcy." 

Plea documents bespeak the Judges defrauded implicit 40 victims passim six Texas counties, involving astatine slightest 24 antithetic operation projects.

Court documents besides showed the brace commingled victims’ payments successful their superior concern account, often pulling installment payments from individuals to money unrelated operation projects – amassing a full of astir $4.8 cardinal successful losses. 

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Federal prosecutors accidental the brace past spent the wealth connected owe payments, surviving expenses and adjacent integrative country portion evading questions from their victims regarding delays successful operation and incomplete projects.

"You conscionable request to beryllium cautious astir who you springiness the wealth to," Roper, a erstwhile U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, told FOX 4. "If it’s excessively bully to beryllium true, it’s astir apt not true."

"You gotta wonderment what happened to the money," Roper said.

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Last month, Christopher Judge pleaded blameworthy to conspiracy to perpetrate ligament fraud and faces up to 20 years down bars successful national prison. Raquelle Judge besides pleaded blameworthy to 1 number of conspiracy to perpetrate ligament fraud, which has a maximum condemnation of 5 years successful national prison. 

Fox News Digital was incapable to instantly find Christopher Judge's lawyer for comment. Raquelle Judge's lawyer did not instantly respond to Fox News Digital's petition for comment. 

The brace is scheduled to beryllium sentenced separately aboriginal this year, according to national prosecutors.