Woman With Nearly 36 Evictions Sentenced to 20 Years for Rowlett Rental Fraud That Cost Landlord Her Home
ROWLETT, Texas — A 51-year-old woman with a history of nearly three dozen evictions across Texas and Colorado has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after using her father's identity to fraudulently rent a Rowlett home, leaving the property owner with unpaid rent that ultimately contributed to foreclosure.
Heather Anna Schwab, also known as Heather Ruybal, was convicted by a jury on August 31, 2026, in Criminal District Court No. 4 of fraudulently securing the execution of a document involving property valued between $30,000 and $150,000.
A judge sentenced Schwab to 20 years in prison, the maximum punishment allowed in her case, and ordered her to pay $40,000 in restitution.
Woman Used Father's Identity to Sign Rental Lease
According to prosecutors, Schwab rented a home in Rowlett in 2023 using her father's identity, signing his name to the lease without paying rent.
During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence showing that Schwab had been evicted nearly 36 times in Texas and Colorado over a 25-year period.
The prosecution argued that Schwab's extensive experience with eviction proceedings allowed her to exploit the legal process, remaining in rental properties for months without paying while landlords attempted to remove her.
In the Rowlett case, the financial consequences were particularly severe.
Prosecutors said the property owner was unable to keep up with mortgage payments because of the unpaid rent and ultimately lost her home to foreclosure.
Previous Colorado Conviction Involved Similar Rental Fraud
Schwab's sentence was enhanced after prosecutors established a prior felony conviction from Colorado in 2018.
That conviction involved similar conduct in which Schwab signed another family member's name to a rental lease and failed to pay rent.
The judge found the enhancement allegation true, allowing the court to impose the maximum 20-year prison sentence following the jury's guilty verdict.
Rowlett Police Investigation Leads to Conviction
The case was investigated by the Rowlett Police Department.
Prosecutor Amber Moore led the case, assisted by second-chair prosecutor Phillip Clark.
District attorney investigator Alex Lipsey worked on the investigation with support from Alex Pinalez and Abigail Cruz.
Prosecutors also acknowledged contributions from interns Margarita Urtubey and Kameron Schultz.
