Kriti Mehrotra
If there’s one thing absolutely nobody can deny, it’s that Starz ‘BMF’ (aka ‘Black Mafia Family’) is a crime drama series actually inspired by one of the most influential crime families in US history. They are, of course, the Flenorys, who’d established the titular organization in the streets of southwest Detroit, Michigan, in the late 1980s, only to soon take it to the national level. Whether it be drug trafficking, money laundering, hip-hop entertainment, opulence, or sheer criminality in the form of form, this Demetrius Edward “Big Meech” Flenory-led group had it all.
Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory Started Selling Drugs as a Teen
Although born on June 21, 1968, to a rather tight-knit family in Detroit, Michigan, Demetrius actually began rubbing shoulders with those on the wrong side of the law at a relatively early age. After all, that’s all some people in the decaying southwest side of the city knew, and it ultimately led to him selling $50 bags of cocaine on the streets while he was still in high school. Unfortunately, since his younger brother Terry Lee “Southwest Tee” Flenory did everything his brother did, he ended up dealing too, resulting in them forming a group called 50 Boyz.
According to reports, while Demetrius was charismatic to his very core, Terry had a business acumen unlike any other, so when they combined their strengths, they were able to evolve to no extent. In fact, by 2000, they’d recruited several others, rebranded, and essentially launched a large-scale underground firm that oversaw multi-kilogram cocaine distribution in at least 13 states, which then grew into more. It then came to light they operated from two main hubs, their distribution center was in Atlanta and headed by the former, whereas their package shipments from Mexico came to Los Angeles and were handled solely by the younger brother.
It was only then that Demetrius came up with the idea to step into the world of hip-hop music and form BMF Entertainment as a front to legitimize their work by laundering money from their cocaine sales. However, little did either he or his little brother know that this would propel them into the limelight, especially as BMF Entertainment quickly managed to evolve into a promoter for several high-profile artists as well as a record label for their sole artist, Bleu DaVinci. He thus began leading a rather extravagant life right in the open, bringing the attention of the authorities, which worried Terry to no extent.
The truth is the brothers had already fallen out by this point; in 2003, their unwavering trust and loyalty towards one another had evolved into a bitter feud over the way they were to operate things. Terry actually ended up relocating to Los Angeles for good to head his own organization, while Demetrius remained in Atlanta and continued leading his partying lifestyle with more and more public attention. Hence began a two-year DEA investigation into precisely who they were and what they did, leading to several raids, seizure of evidence, and arrests in October 2005 – the elder brother was captured in Dallas, whereas the younger was in St. Louis.
As per court records, Demetrius and Terry were both charged under the Continuing Criminal Enterprise Statute on the charges of conspiracy to distribute 5kgs or more of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute more than 500gms of cocaine, conspiracy to launder money instruments, and two counts of possession with intent to distribute. Therefore, with the evidence against them, in 2007 came the additional charge of participating in the nationwide cocaine distribution conspiracy. We should also mention that Demetrius was arrested in 2003 in connection to a Buckhead-area shooting, but he was never indicted owing to lack of evidence.
Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory is Behind Bars
It was in November 2007 that drug kingpin Demetrius pled guilty to running a continuing criminal enterprise, following which he was sentenced to a total of 30 years in 2008. Thus, today, at the age of 55, he is incarcerated at the low-security Federal Correctional Institution-Coleman in Wildwood, Florida, where he is expected to remain until at least his parole on January 27, 2026. However, according to reports, he has since applied a request to be released even earlier (his initial sentence was until 2035, yet it later got shaved off by four years, making it until 2031), and if it is approved, he could be looking at supervised freedom as early as 2025.
Per Demetrius’ own filings, he has turned over a new leaf and is now a completely different man than what he went inside the prison. In fact, his lawyer asserted he has not been reprimanded in prison since 2021, earned his GED, and is also eager to continue excelling in additional prison classes. As if that’s not enough, it was added that once released, this former kingpin plans to launch a new initiative called Build More Families to help people connect with others, all the while volunteering for various community activities. The fact he has a family of his own, with his son Demetrius “Lil Meech” Flenory Jr. actually portraying him in the Starz series, is also a motivating factor for him. But alas, whether he deserves this freedom is up to a federal judge – no verdict has been announced as of writing.
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