ATLANTA — Demetrius "Big Meech" Flenory has left federal prison for a residential program in Miami, setting off a wave of reactions and fresh attention on his notorious Black Mafia Family drug trafficking organization that operated partly in Atlanta in the 90s and early 00s.
The popular Starz series "BMF" chronicles Big Meech's and his brother Terry "Southwest T" Flenory's story -- his son, Lil Meech (Demetrius Flenory Jr.) even plays him. That amplified the reactions Thursday as it was reported that Flenory Sr. would be out of a federal correctional institution.
RELATED: Drug kingpin Demetrius 'Big Meech' Flenory leaves federal prison for a residential program in Miami
Among those who reacted to Big Meech's transfer out of federal prison was LeBron James.
"Welcome home Big Meech!!" he posted on X.
Lil Meech, on Instagram, reacted with a clip from "A Bronx Tale" in his story: "Sonny my father always said that when I get older I would understand." He also shared the LeBron post and a picture of his father.
Flenory, 56, was originally sentenced to 30 years in prison following his 2008 conviction for drug trafficking and money laundering. He was recently transferred to the residential program in Miami.
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson brought the story of Flenory and his brother Terry Flenory to Starz in an eight-episode series, “BMF,” in 2021. The series delved into the brothers' 1980s backstory as they emerged from inner-city Detroit to become wealthy drug kingpins embraced by hip-hop culture.
Other hip-hop figures reacted on X, including Sexxy Red.
"Where da welcome home party @ I'm trona perform for da freeski," she wrote.
Demetrius Flenory was arrested in 2005. His sentence ends on Jan. 27, 2026, according to the federal prison website. Until then, he will be monitored by the residential reentry center in Miami, which is responsible for providing federal offenders with community-based services to assist with their reentry needs.
Terry Flenory, 54, is serving out his sentence on similar charges at a residential reentry center in Detroit. He has an release date of Aug. 17, 2025, according to the the federal prison website.
Big Meech's BMF organization was alleged in the early 00s to have committed a number of crimes in Atlanta and the surrounding metro area, including the killing of a man at the Velvet Room in 2004, the murder of another man that led to charges against Gucci Mane (who was acquitted in that case in 2006), and the stabbing of Bobby Brown's nephew at an Atlanta restaurant in 2005.
Cases associated with Big Meech and the BMF enterprise were brought in Atlanta federal court, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.
