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A Texas couple pleaded guilty to federal charges after prosecutors revealed they used social media to swindle dozens of homeowners out of nearly $5 million by hiding private homes and renovations.
In accordance with The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, Christopher and Raquelle Judge, a married couple from Fort Worth, pleaded guilty to conducting an elaborate scheme to defraud customers through their home improvement business, Judge DFW LLC, between August 2020 and January 2023.
The pair billed themselves as a one-stop shop for custom building, interior design and construction services, luring customers through social media to advertise their business while falsely claiming that Christopher was an experienced builder.
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Christopher and Raquelle Jaji pleaded guilty to federal charges after prosecutors uncovered a $5 million fraud scheme in which the couple defrauded dozens of Texas homeowners through bogus home improvement projects. (Chris and Raquelle Jaji/Instagram)
“They came out to our house… and acted like this Chip and Joanna Gaines type,” Lane Simmons, one of the judges’ customers, said. he told WFAA.
Federal prosecutors alleged that the couple would offer clients below-market bids to secure construction contracts, before starting projects that were never completed and left victims with incomplete homes.
In the town of Runaway Bay, Christopher Jaji was reportedly hit with 424 bullets for breaking the code, which led to the FBI taking over the case.
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Christopher Jaji pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud and faces up to 20 years in prison. Raquelle Judge also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. (Chris and Raquelle Jaji/Instagram)
“There were families whose children didn’t get Christmas for a year or two,” Kalie Simmons, another victim of the jury, said. he told FOX 4. “There were families who applied to be defrauded.”
Plea documents show that the jury defrauded more than 40 victims across six Texas counties, involving at least 24 different construction projects.
Court documents also showed the pair pooled the victims’ payments into their primary business account, often making installments to individuals to fund unrelated construction projects — totaling an estimated $4.8 million in losses.
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Federal prosecutors said the pair then used the money to pay for housing, living expenses and even plastic surgery while avoiding questions from their victims about delays in unfinished projects.
“You have to be careful who you give money to,” Roper, a former US Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, told FOX 4. “If it’s too good to be true, it probably isn’t.”
“You have to wonder what happened to the money,” Roper said.
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Last month, Christopher Jaji pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud and faces up to 20 years in prison. Raquelle Judge also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
Fox News Digital could not immediately reach an attorney for Christopher Judge for comment. Raquelle Jaji’s attorney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
The two are scheduled to be sentenced separately later this year, according to federal prosecutors.
