Texas wannabe influencers who stole millions from victims in home build fraud going to jail, ordered to pay back $2.8 million

“The Judges didn’t just abandon construction sites; their entire business model was built on lies and deceit,” U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould said in a statement. “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.”

The case may not be over yet. Christopher Judge filed a notice of appeal on Sept. 8, according to court records.

The pitch

“Are you ready to see your fixer upper?”

On the hit home-renovation show, that question usually came just before the big reveal: a dated house transformed into someone’s dream home. But prosecutors say the reveal for the Judges’ customers looked very different — unfinished houses, abandoned construction sites and families left with depleted savings and mortgages on homes they couldn’t live in.

Fort Worth homeowner Kristin Newman was one of the customers. She said Judge DFW initially felt “fresh” and “exciting,” with a polished media presence and an offer to handle everything from architecture and design to construction.

Prosecutors say that was part of the strategy. Christopher Judge falsely presented himself as a licensed architect and general contractor, while the couple offered prospective customers below-market bids.

Newman hired them but after spending thousands of dollars, she said work on her home moved slowly and concerns about the quality began to pile up. She eventually hired an independent inspector, who produced a roughly 100-page report outlining problems with the project.

Newman said that when she confronted the pair about the findings, Christopher started pulling away.

Growing concerns

As Newman waited for her unfinished home to take shape, court records show money was flowing elsewhere. The couple spent tens of thousands of dollars on personal expenses, including roughly $82,000 at Amazon and $10,000 on cosmetic surgery.

Her experience is far from the only home-improvement dispute to land on regulators’ radar. The FTC’s Consumer Sentinel Network recorded 81,925 reports involving home improvement, repairs and solar projects in 2024.

Construction also ranked among the industries with the highest losses in a separate study of occupational fraud. The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners found construction cases carried a median loss of $250,000 — the fourth-highest among industries included in its 2024 report.

For Newman, the Judges’ sentencing closes at least one chapter of an ordeal that took a toll well beyond the construction site.

“It does close a chapter that has been painful, not just emotionally and financially, but it’s just been draining,” Newman told PEOPLE. “I don’t have to worry about them being out and maybe doing this to another person.”

The road ahead

For Newman and her family, the sentencing does not necessarily mean the financial damage is over.

Court records show the Newman family is entitled to about $175,000. But recovering it could be a long process: once the Judges leave prison, their required restitution payments can start at just $100 per month.