The true-life story of Terry Lee “Southwest T” Flenory and his brother Demetrius, also known as Big Meech, from Detroit, Michigan will be the focus of a documentary, Starz revealed this week. What happened to Terry Flenory and when was he released from jail? Will there be a BMF season 2?
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What happened to Terry Flenory?
The Black Mafia Family (BMF) was founded in 1989 by the Flenory brothers, Terry and Demetrius, in southwest Detroit. They had cocaine distribution sales throughout the United States by 2000. They operated primarily from two hubs: Atlanta (run by Demetrius) and Los Angeles (by Terry). By the mid 1990s, the Flenory brothers’ operation had spread into Missouri, Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, California and Texas.
In September 2008, Terry and Demetrius Flenory, then 38 and 40 years old respectively, were sentenced to 30 years in prison by a United States District Court judge. They were sentenced to a further 20 years in prison for money laundering.
According to the US Drug Enforcement Administration’s press release of September 12, 2008, law enforcement officials seized roughly 476kg of cocaine “designed for distribution by [the BMF] over the course of 2000 through 2008.”
When was Terry Flenory released from jail?
While his brother Demetrius is scheduled for release on May 5, 2032, Terry Flenory was released from the Kentucky federal prison to home confinement on May 5, 2020. He was 50 at the time. His original release date was 2026.
On his release from prison, the Detroit News interviewed Steve Fishman, who had represented Terry during his trial. He described him as a “really nice guy.” “He has served a lot of time, and I am very happy to hear he’s coming home.”
He was freed as a result of the worsening covid-19 pandemic. Prison officials began releasing prisoners in order to limit the virus’ spread within prisons.
Will there be a BMF season 2?
BMF, or Black Mafia Family, was first shown in its entirety on September 26 this year on Starz. Executive-produced by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, the series stars Demetrius Flenory Jr (playing his father) and Da’Vinchi (as Terry Flenory).
It also features a cameo appearance from Eminem, as White Boy Rick.
Variety reported on September 30 that Starz had renewed BMF for a second season, just four days after the series premiere.
Sydney Mitchell portrays Terry Flenory’s baby mother LaWanda Roosevelt in BMF. Read an interview with her here. Terry Flenory’s longtime girlfriend in real life, aka the “First Lady” of the Black Mafia Family, was Tonesa “Toni” Welch, who describes her time with BMF as “crazy”.
“It’s like I was on a high. You were on a high just doing something, making moves and getting away with it. It’s the whole power of it all, the way people looked at you. Then, [afterwards], you’re like, ‘What was I doing?’”
Starz announced earlier this week that it had given the go-ahead to a documentary series on the Flenory brothers.
