She Was Evicted Nearly 3 Dozen Times Under Different Names. Now She’s Been Sentenced to 20 Years for Fraud

Prosecutors say Heather Ruybal racked up nearly three dozen evictions over more than two decades. Now, a Texas jury has convicted her of fraud for using her father’s identity to rent a home without paying, and a judge has sentenced her to 20 years in prison.

Ruybal received the maximum sentence in Dallas on Aug. 31 after jurors found her guilty on July 27. According to Denver7, prosecutors said she used the name “Rayes Ruybal,” her father’s name, to lease a four-bedroom home in Rowlett, Texas, in 2023 and used a bad check as part of the rental process.

The conviction was only one piece of a much longer history. During the case, prosecutors presented evidence of nearly three dozen evictions involving Ruybal across Texas and Colorado, dating back more than 20 years. The judge also ordered her to pay $40,000 in restitution to Rowlett homeowner Jessica Davis.

The Landlord Lost More Than Just Rental Income

Davis found Ruybal through a Zillow listing and rented her the Rowlett property. After moving in, Ruybal allegedly stopped paying rent and remained in the home while Davis went through the eviction process.

When Ruybal eventually left, Davis said the property had been left in poor condition. She previously told Fox News that the home smelled of urine and cigarette smoke and contained trash, food and debris. She also said both toilets were clogged.

The lost rental income created an even bigger financial problem for Davis. According to Denver7, she eventually could not keep up with the mortgage payments and lost the home.

Prosecutors argued that the situation reflected a pattern rather than an isolated dispute. Dallas County Assistant District Attorney Amber Moore told Denver7 that Ruybal had repeatedly moved into properties knowing she would not pay rent and then exploited the eviction process.

The court also considered a 2018 Colorado conviction when determining Ruybal’s sentence. Prosecutors said she had used her father’s and aunt’s identities to obtain a lease in that case, resulting in a six-year prison sentence. She served a little more than three years before her release.

Ruybal Now Faces Another Fraud Case in Colorado

Ruybal’s legal troubles extend beyond the Texas conviction. She is also facing felony charges in Denver over allegations that she stole more than $500,000 from a former employer.

According to an arrest affidavit obtained by Denver7, Ruybal allegedly spent nearly two years working as a payroll manager and bookkeeper before investigators accused her of sending payments to fictitious employees and a shell company. The affidavit alleges that the money ultimately went to bank accounts connected to her.

Ruybal made her initial court appearance in that case on Sept. 1. Those allegations are separate from the Texas conviction, and a Denver court has not convicted her.

Another Colorado landlord, Stephanie Williams, also told Denver7 that Ruybal rented her property in 2024 and allegedly left it contaminated with methamphetamine. Williams said Ruybal later moved out but continued paying rent until March, when she discovered that Ruybal’s son had allegedly been living at the property without permission.

Meanwhile, prosecutors said Ruybal was living in Castle Rock, where she allegedly stopped paying rent around the same time. In Texas, Moore said Ruybal will likely have to serve at least five years of her 20-year sentence before becoming eligible for parole. After documenting decades of evictions and multiple alleged fraud schemes, prosecutors hope the sentence will prevent Ruybal from repeating the pattern.

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