Developer at center of Benbrook floodplain debate indicted on felony charges
The real estate developer who angered Benbrook residents this past summer with his plan to build in a floodplain has been indicted on felony charges in Parker County for alleged misappropriation of funds and theft.
In July, the Benbrook Planning and Zoning Commission recommended rezoning a portion of the Mary’s Creek floodplain to allow Corey Waldrop, 37, of Fort Worth, to develop a 178-home community called Rowan Ranch near the intersection of West Loop 820 and Veterans Parkway.
Immediately, nearby residents mobilized to block the development, worrying that manipulating the floodplain would have disastrous consequences for downstream neighborhoods. The Benbrook City Council ultimately denied the rezoning request in August after dozens of residents spoke against the project.
Many who opposed Rowan Ranch also questioned Waldrop’s business practices. As previously reported, Waldrop’s former company, Trinity Design and Build, was forced into Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceedings in October 2024 by homeowners who accused Waldrop of not completing construction and remodeling work he’d been paid for.
One of those homeowners, Scott Fagan of Weatherford, filed the criminal complaint against Waldrop that resulted in the third-degree felony charges he now faces.
When reached by phone on the morning of Oct. 8, Waldrop said he was unaware of the indictment. In a subsequent phone conversation that afternoon, he said he would need to speak with his attorney before going on the record with the Star-Telegram. Waldrop had not followed up as of noon Thursday.
What is Waldrop accused of?
In the arrest affidavit, Fagan said he paid Waldrop more than $20,000 for appliances for his new home, but Waldrop allegedly never paid the appliance dealer for the items. Fagan said he ended up paying the dealer directly, but was never reimbursed by Waldrop.
Along with Fagan, two subcontractors, Duarte Custom Cabinets and AES Glass and Mirror, alleged in the criminal filings that Waldrop owed them approximately $12,000 combined for work they’d completed.
Following the criminal complaints, a Parker County Sheriff’s Office investigator found evidence that Waldrop had transferred construction project funds to personal bank accounts. Based on that, the investigator requested a warrant for Waldrop’s arrest in March.
Waldrop was subsequently taken into custody and released while Parker County District Attorney Jeff Swain reviewed the charges.
“I’m hoping justice will be served,” Fagan said after the district attorney’s office indicted Waldrop on Oct. 2. “Hopefully, on behalf of everyone Corey Waldrop has hurt, he’ll see justice.”
What has Corey Waldrop said?
When asked in August about the bankruptcy suit, the criminal complaints, the multiple lawsuits that had been filed against Trinity Design and Build and the hundreds of thousands of dollars in mechanic’s and materialmen’s liens that had been claimed against properties Waldrop had worked on, Waldrop maintained his innocence.
He said civil suits and liens are part of doing business, and he was adamant that he never used business funds for personal expenses, as was alleged in the bankruptcy suit.
“Sometimes it just takes time to get the facts,” Waldrop told the Star-Telegram.
“We hope and pray with time and with facts and information, those will go away,” Waldrop said at the time of the criminal charges.
This story was originally published October 9, 2025 at 12:40 PM.