Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory, co-founder of the Black Mafia Family (B.M.F.), is asking a judge to take more time off his three-decade prison sentence, AllHipHop.com can exclusively report.
Big Meech was convicted for running a nationwide criminal enterprise and laundering money, accumulating more than $270 million in drug proceeds from the late 1990s until 2007.
Originally sentenced to 360 months (30 years), U.S. District Judge David M. Lawson agreed to lessen his sentence to 324 months, a reduction of three years, in June 2021.
It was granted under USSG amendments 782 and 788, which revised the drug quantity and chemical quantity tables for all drug offenses. The amendments made Big Meech eligible for a reduced sentence.
The combination of factors contributed to the decision to reduce his sentence, which is now scheduled for release in May 2028 instead of 2031. But Big Meech and his lawyer, Brittany K. Barnett of the Buried Alive Project, argue he deserves to have his sentence further reduced.
READ: Big Meech Flenory: The AllHipHop Interview Part 1
Barnett has cited section 18 582(c)(2) of the United States Criminal Code (U.S.C.) that allows a judge to reduce someone’s prison time if the rules for sentencing crimes like theirs are changed to be less strict after they were sentenced.
In April 2023, the United States Sentencing Commission enacted Amendment 821, modifying how the guidelines apply to certain individuals with criminal history “status points” slapped on them for offenses committed while serving out their sentence.
Specifically, Amendment 821 eliminated additional criminal history points for defendants with six or fewer such points, which should significantly impact Big Meech and his bid for an earlier release. The law went into effect in November 2023. According to Barnett, Big Meech qualifies to have two points he received in 1991 knocked off his record.
During Big Meech’s nearly 16 years in prison, he’s been relatively trouble-free and made positive changes. He earned his G.E.D., completed a 24-month special management program and took health awareness, money management and parenting classes.
“Notably, Federal Bureau of Prisons (B.O.P.) staff observed that ‘Flenory has displayed a dedication to remaining physically fit and has taken it upon himself to lead and teach exercise classes to other inmates,” Barnett explained. “He also leads regular focus groups out of various self-help books and appears to [have] a positive mental health effect of other inmates.”
Furthermore, Big Meech has initiated community events and proposed starting a new program called “Build More Families” to rebrand B.M.F.
In April 2020, he and his brother, Terry “Southwest T” Flenory, sought compassionate release due to COVID-19 risks. While his brother was released to home confinement, Big Meech’s request was denied four times by a judge and an appeals court.
If Big Meech’s latest bid for an early release is successful, he could be home as early as next year. Big Meech has become a household name, thanks to rapper 50 Cent, who turned the story of B.M.F. into a hit series on STARZ.
The show delves into the operations of Big Meech and Southwest T’s organization and has added to 50 Cent’s growing television empire on STARZ, which includes successful projects such as “Power” and its spin-offs.