Terry Lee Flenory: Early Life, Formation of BMF, the Downfall of BMF, and Life after Prison

Terry Lee Flenory is often called “Southwest T” and is associated with one of the most notorious drug cartels in U.S. history. Terry co-founded the Black Mafia Family (BMF) with his older brother Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory. Terry played a pivotal role in building a multi-million-dollar drug trafficking organization that dominated the streets from the 1990s through the early 2000s. He has had extreme highs and devastating lows, marked by accumulation wealth, power, and eventual downfall.

Early Life and Formation of BMF

Born on January 10, 1970, in Detroit, Michigan, Terry Lee Flenory was brought up in a poor family and exposed to the economic downfall of inner-city life. Terry was sucked into drug dealing as a teen along with his brother Demetrius. What started as small-time hustling in the streets of Detroit grew into something much larger.

The late 1980s and early 1990s saw Terry and Demetrius found the Black Mafia Family, one of America’s most powerful drug cartels. It was not an average drug operation; BMF was an organized national drug trafficking operation selling huge quantities of cocaine in all of Georgia, California, Michigan, and beyond.

While Demetrius was known for his flashy lifestyle and high-profile partying and became the face of BMF, Terry was more down to earth. They nicknamed him “Southwest T” for his strategic operations in Los Angeles, where he ran the West Coast distribution of their cocaine empire. The logistics Terry handled helped BMF move hundreds of kilos of cocaine across the U.S.

The Glitz and the Glamour

At its height, BMF was a lifestyle brand, not just a drug operation. The Flenory brothers put their fortune into entertainment, founding BMF Entertainment to launder drug money and break into hip-hop music. They hung out with famous rappers, producers, and celebrities, throwing big parties and living large. Their daily lives included expensive cars and jewelry as well as sprawling mansions.

For Terry, the wealth brought him a level of comfort unimaginable considering his poor upbringing. But the money and power came with a price. Law enforcement increased its scrutiny of BMF as its operations expanded. Terry’s discreet nature may have kept him out of the limelight, but it did not save him from the eventual fallout.

The Downfall

The Black Mafia Family’s drug empire had become too big for federal authorities to ignore by the early 2000s. The federal government made its move after years of wiretaps, surveillance, and evidence gathering. In 2005, Terry and Demetrius Flenory were arrested and charged for running a continuing criminal enterprise, drug trafficking, and money laundering.

Both brothers were sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2008 and the empire they built was gone.

Life after Prison

Terry Lee Flenory was released in 2020 as part of a federal effort to reduce inmate populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. His brother, Demetrius, remains imprisoned. After his release, Terry has tried to avoid the limelight but the BMF legacy remains fascinating. Books, documentaries, and most recently the TV series BMF produced by rapper 50 Cent tells the story of the Black Mafia Family.