2 Dallas 'trap-house' workers found guilty of federal drug trafficking, face up to life in prison

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A guard tower and razor wire at a prison in Texas. (Photo by Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)

DALLAS - Two Dallas men face up to life in federal prison after a jury convicted them of conspiracy to traffic heroin and crack cocaine in the Eastern District of Texas, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs announced Monday.

Corey Buchea Grant, 31, and Calvin Autae Thompson, 36, were found guilty on Nov. 3 of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and crack cocaine following a six-day trial before U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan.

Dallas drug dealers convicted

The backstory:

Prosecutors presented evidence that Thompson managed a "trap house" in East Dallas where Grant worked, selling multiple illegal substances, including heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, and fentanyl-laced heroin. Authorities believe drugs supplied by the two men were responsible for a fatal fentanyl overdose in Lewisville, Texas.

According to information presented by prosecutors, drug dealers went to the Dallas "trap houses" to purchase the drugs, which would then be distributed in the Eastern District of Texas. Evidence presented by the court included cell phone messages, social media messages, cell phone location data, financial records, and testimony from cooperating defendants.

Grant and Thompson face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison. A sentencing date will be scheduled following the completion of a pre-sentence investigation.

The case was investigated by a multi-agency task force that included the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Dallas Police Department, and the Lewisville Police Department, among others.

The prosecution is part of "Operation Take Back America," a nationwide Department of Justice initiative targeting cartels, transnational criminal organizations, and violent crime.

What is a trap house?

Dig deeper:

A "trap house" is a residence used in the illegal drug trade, where drugs are sold, stored, and sometimes manufactured. The term originated as slang and has been popularized in the "trap" music genre, which is named after these locations where drug deals are common. These houses serve as a base for drug users and dealers, providing shelter for users and a place for dealers to supply them.