How A Teenage Drug Kingpin Built A Meth Empire at 16

His mom was a queenpin. His dad was the muscle. By 16, he was selling meth and building his own operation in small-town Texas.

In this episode, Cory Simek, a former teenage meth dealer reveals what it was like growing up inside the drug game—and how his family’s criminal lifestyle shaped the path he followed. After starting with marijuana, he quickly moved into meth, made serious money before he was old enough to sign a lease, and became the target of a six-month police investigation.

He breaks down how confidential informants gained his trust, the warning signs he ignored, the raid that brought everything crashing down, and the brutal reality of racial politics and survival inside the Texas prison system.

But his story did not end behind bars. After serving years in prison and losing nearly everything, he transformed his mentality, entered the car business with no experience, became a top salesman, opened his own dealership, invested in real estate, and rebuilt his life through legitimate business.

This is a raw story about growing up in a criminal family, selling meth at 16, undercover informants, police raids, addiction, betrayal, Texas prison, redemption, entrepreneurship, and second chances.

Go Support Cory!

IG: instagram.com/corywiththekeys

Dealership: thekeykonnect.com

YouTube: @Corywthekeys

This Episode Is #Sponsored By The Following:

Hims! To get simple, online access to personalized, affordable care for ED, Hair Loss, and more visit hims.com/connect

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Join The Patreon For Bonus Content!

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00:00 Intro: Raised by a Queenpin and an Enforcer

01:55 Cory With the Keys Joins the Show

02:19 His Parents’ Wild Origin Story

04:56 Childhood Changes After His Mom Relapses

06:59 Learning the Drug Game at 12

07:26 Smoking Weed for the First Time

08:47 Becoming a 13-Year-Old Dealer

10:08 The Lunch-Money Lesson That Changed Him

11:19 Trying to Live Up to Both Parents’ Reputations

11:52 Getting Kicked Out at 16

12:11 Moving From Weed to Meth

13:15 This Episode Is Sponsored By Hims

14:51 Selling Meth as a Teenager

16:27 Renting a Trap House Underage

17:14 Hustling While Still in High School

18:37 Getting Expelled Before Graduation

20:35 The Suspicious Customer Who Became an Informant

23:36 A Warning Before the Raid

24:30 Police Search the Trap House

26:13 Discovering the Informant’s Role

28:39 This Episode Is Sponsored By Quo

29:50 Another Informant Story After Prison

35:12 Swallowing an Eightball During a Police Stop

37:28 Realizing He Was Set Up

41:49 Back to the First Bust

44:08 Taking State Jail Instead of Probation

46:04 Surviving State Jail at 17

47:07 Learning Texas Prison Politics

50:32 Getting Out and Returning to the Streets

51:16 Weed Connects From the Valley

53:12 How Border Checkpoints Changed the Price

55:20 Shipping Bricks Through UPS

58:03 Moving Pounds and Making Teen Money

1:00:24 His Father’s Return to the Meth Game

1:02:35 His Dad Refuses to Snitch and Gets 25 Years

1:04:18 Falling in Love After State Jail

1:06:14 Learning He Might Become a Father

1:07:09 TDC Boot Camp and the Drug-Free Zone

1:10:15 Finding Out His Mom Died

1:11:52 Trying to Go Straight for His Son

1:13:14 The DNA Test That Broke Him

1:15:50 Heartbreak Sends Him Back to Hustling

1:16:41 SWAT Raids the Trap House

1:18:40 Running Into One of His Dad’s Snitches

1:21:27 Probation, Suspended License, and Disaster

1:22:23 Sentenced to Six Years in TDC

1:24:01 Learning He Must Serve Five Flat

1:28:10 Losing Everything in Prison

1:30:08 Rock Bottom Becomes the Turning Point

1:31:14 Deciding to Make Prison Time Serve Him

1:32:11 Fighting and Surviving Real Prison

1:35:22 Finding Better Ways to Do Time

1:36:52 Finally Making Parole

1:38:28 Getting Out and Starting Over

1:39:09 Discovering Car Sales

1:40:27 Talking His Way Into a Dealership Job

1:41:41 Becoming the Top Salesman

1:42:56 Battling Old Habits After Success

1:47:22 Opening His Own Dealership

1:48:19 Real Estate, Music, and Reinvention

1:49:56 Speaking in Prisons and Mentoring Kids

1:52:12 Johnny and Cory Discuss Their Turning Points

1:54:27 Why Accountability Keeps Him Straight

1:56:30 Finding Your Skill Set and Passion

1:57:09 Where to Find Cory With the Keys

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