A Kingwood woman is accused of quietly siphoning off more than $460,000 from a south Montgomery County real estate brokerage, with investigators saying the money went to first-class living: designer clothes, pricey jewelry, upscale meals and trips abroad. The alleged scheme, which authorities say ran for about two years, has rattled local brokers and sparked fresh worries about how small firms keep tabs on commission checks.
Arrest and investigation
Heather Surratt was arrested at her Kingwood home on June 8 and booked into the Montgomery County Jail on a first-degree felony charge of theft of property over $300,000, according to the Houston Chronicle. Detectives with the Precinct 3 Constable’s Criminal Investigation Division say brokerage records show Surratt deposited company-issued checks totaling more than $460,000 into her personal bank account over roughly two years, then burned through the cash on luxury goods, high-end dining and international travel. The brokerage’s owner contacted deputies in February, and investigators say they built what they describe as a "rock-solid" case before moving in with the arrest.
Civil suit and owner's reaction
Styled Real Estate filed a civil lawsuit against Surratt in April, accusing her of "wrongfully converting" more than 100 commission checks that were made out to the company. Court records show that on June 6, a judgment was entered ordering her to repay the money with interest and to cover the firm’s attorney fees, as reported by the Houston Chronicle. In a Facebook post quoted by the paper, owner Shelly Scanlin did not mince words, writing, "This woman has terrorized my family and my business for quite some time. It ends now." She thanked law enforcement and urged other business owners not to shy away from pressing charges when they suspect theft.
What the charge means
Under Texas law, theft offenses are graded by how much property is involved. Appropriating property worth $300,000 or more is treated as a first-degree felony under the Texas Penal Code (section 31.03). The punishment range for a first-degree felony, which can include 5 to 99 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, is set out in the Texas Penal Code (section 12.32). Separate from any criminal sentence, civil remedies such as restitution and attorney-fee awards move on their own track, and in this case the brokerage already has a civil judgment in hand.
What's next
The criminal investigation is still active, and it will be up to prosecutors in Montgomery County to decide whether to file formal charges or seek an indictment. For residents following the case, the county provides public access to district court dockets and case records through its official website, where new filings and hearing dates are posted as they come in.
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