Serial Squatter Heather Ruybal Sentenced to 20 Years for Fraud After Nearly Three Dozen Evictions

BELIEVE IT OR NOT, PROSECUTORS SAY A SERIAL SQUATTER RACKED UP NEARLY THREE DOZEN EVICTIONS UNDER MULTIPLE ALIASES AND WROTE A BAD CHECK TO LEASE A HOME… AND SHE HAS NOW BEEN SENTENCED TO TWENTY YEARS IN PRISON FOR FELONY FRAUD.

On Aug. 31, Heather Ruybal received the maximum sentence of 20 years for fraud in Dallas, Denver7 reported.

Her sentence followed a July 27 conviction for felony fraud.

The conviction stemmed from an incident in 2023 when Ruybal used a false name and wrote a bad check to lease a house.

Dallas County Assistant District Attorney Amber Moore said Ruybal leased the home in Rowlett, Texas, by using her father’s identity.

Ruybal used the alias Heather Schwab during the transaction.

After moving into the residence, she never paid a dime in rent, Moore said.

“This is what she did for a living. Moved into individuals’ homes knowing that she wasn’t going to pay her rent, then exploit the eviction process,” Moore told the outlet, adding that her track record showed she had “no remorse” for her crimes.

The Rowlett home was owned by Jessica Davis.

Davis had listed the property for rent on Zillow.

According to Davis, Ruybal had rented the home under the name Rayes Ruybal.

Rayes Ruybal was the name of Ruybal’s father.

Ruybal remained inside the residence for months before finally moving out.

Davis said the four-bedroom house had been her dream home.

When Ruybal finally departed, Davis said the property reeked of urine.

It reeked of cigarette smoke.

Davis reported that trash, food and debris were littered throughout the interior.

“Both of the toilets are clogged with mounds of toilet paper and other seemingly fluids,” Davis previously told Fox News.

The court ordered Ruybal to pay $40,000 in restitution to Davis.

But the financial devastation extended far beyond property damage.

Lost rental income left Davis unable to make her mortgage payments, Denver7 reported.

Davis and her husband, Colin Davis, ultimately lost the home.

The harsh sentence in Texas came after prosecutors unearthed Ruybal’s lengthy criminal history.

Prosecutors discovered she had been a serial fraud offender across Texas and Denver.

Her background included nearly three dozen evictions spanning more than two decades.

Over that time, she racked up thousands of dollars in property damage under multiple aliases.

Moore said the court was able to enhance Ruybal’s punishment based on a prior conviction from 2018.

In that 2018 case, Ruybal used the identities of her father and her aunt to obtain a lease in Colorado.

She was sentenced to six years in prison in Colorado for that offense.

She served just over three years before her release.

“We wanted the court to make sure the judge understands that she’s basically a career criminal,” Moore told the outlet.

Other landlords reported similar experiences with Ruybal.

In 2024, another Colorado landlord, Stephanie Williams, rented her home to Ruybal.

Williams told Denver7 that Ruybal allegedly contaminated her property with methamphetamine.

Williams also said Ruybal moved out of the house but kept paying rent until March.

Then Williams discovered that Ruybal’s son had been living there without permission.

Ruybal had been living in Castle Rock at the time.

Williams said Ruybal also stopped paying rent in Castle Rock around that same point.

Williams said Ruybal left the home a mess after vacating the property.

Back in Texas, Moore addressed Ruybal’s upcoming prison time.

Moore said Ruybal will likely serve at least five years of her 20-year sentence before becoming eligible for parole.

“I hope it sends a message that her time is up,” Moore said.

“No longer is she going to be able to do something like this and get away with it,” she said.

Yet Ruybal’s legal exposure extends to another jurisdiction.

Denver7 reported that Ruybal is also facing felony charges in Denver after being accused of stealing more than $500,000 from a former employer.

An arrest affidavit obtained by Denver7 detailed the accusations.

According to the affidavit, Ruybal allegedly spent nearly two years at an unidentified company as a payroll manager and bookkeeper.

She allegedly funneled company payments to fictitious employees.

She also allegedly funneled payments to a shell company.

All of those payments were linked to her own bank accounts, according to the affidavit.

On Tuesday, Ruybal made her initial court appearance for that Denver fraud case.

She had accumulated nearly three dozen evictions.

She had served three years in Colorado prison.

She now faces two decades in Texas custody.

The charges are allegations and have not been proven in court.