BMF: The Rise and Fall of Big Meech and the Black Mafia Family (39 page)

BMF Entertainment enters the music scene
.
Meech’s push to legitimize BMF is chronicled in DVD magazines
Smack
, vol. 8, and
The Raw Report
, vol. 2.

Jeezy rising from the streets
.
DVD magazine
The Raw Report
, “Trap or Die.”

Pushing Jeezy
. (a)
The Raw Report
’s “Trap or Die.” (b) Interview with Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory, March 5, 2008.

Surveilling Meech’s birhtday party
.
From testimony offered in the case
U.S. v. Dionne Beverly, et al
, United States District Court, Northern District of Georgia, No. 07-CR-233.

Terry’s wiretap
.
U.S. v. Terry Flenory, et al
, United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, No. 05-CR-80955.

A drug dealer advertising on a billboard?
Interviews with Fulton County Assistant District Attorney Rand Csehy, October 2006 and March 2008.

Prince’s backstory
.
Interviews with Debbie Morgan, August 2004, January 2005, October 2006, and March 2008.

The Velvet Room incident
.
State of Georgia v. Fleming Daniels
, Fulton County, Ga., Superior Court, No. 07-SC-56450.

Scott and Kiki’s crew
.
(a)
U.S. v. Tremayne Graham, et al
, United States District Court, District of South Carolina, No. 03-CR-1092. (b)
U.S. v. Richard Garrett
, United States District Court, District of South Carolina, No. 06-CR-986.

“There is so much that I would like to say about my daughter.”
Interview with Katie Carter, May 2007.

NBA All-Star shooting
.
(a)
U.S. v. Tremayne Graham, et al
, United States District Court, District of South Carolina, No. 03-CR-1092. (b) From the Feb. 11, 2001,
Washington Post
, story, “Shots ring amid crowd in Dupont, killing man.”

Playboy beats his charge
. From the Aug. 29, 2001,
Washington Post
story, “Charge is dropped in slaying on NBA weekend.”

“We must let the legal system run its course
.” Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, in an April 27, 2004, Associated Press story.

“He is the mayor’s
former
son-in-law
.” Mayor Franklin’s aide, speaking to the Associated Press, June 18, 2005.

O-Dog’s wiretap
.
State of Georgia v. Omari McCree, et al
, Superior Court of Fulton County, Ga., No. 05-SC-31397.

Meech’s roadblock arrest
.
State of Georgia v. Demetrius Flenory
, Superior Court of DeKalb County, Ga., No. 05-CR-3947.

Closing the Gate
.
U.S. v. Dionne Beverly, et al
, United States District Court, Northern District of Georgia, No. 07-CR-233.

Searching Space Mountain
.
(a)
Affidavit and Application for a Search Warrant for 4363 Mount Paran Road
: Fulton County, Ga., Superior Court, Nov. 23, 2004. (b)
U.S. v. Dionne Beverly, et al
, United States District Court, Northern District of Georgia, No. 07-CR-233.

Climbing the food chain to get to O-Dog
.
(a)
State of Georgia v. Omari McCree, et al
, Superior Court of Fulton County, Ga., No. 05-SC-31397. (b) Interviews with Fulton County Assistant District Attorney Rand Csehy, October 2006 and March 2008.

Kiki’s plan
.
U.S. v. Tremayne Graham, et al
, United States District Court, District of South Carolina, No. 03-CR-1092.

“We have no suspect, no motive and no arrest at this time.”
From the Sept. 7, 2004,
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
story, “Pair slain in home invasion.”

Hiring the bounty hunter
.
(a)
U.S. v. Tremayne Graham, et al
, United States District Court, District of South Carolina, No. 03-CR-1092. (b)
Free at Last Bail Bonds v. Kai Franklin Graham
, United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Georgia, No. 05-6585.

Kai’s money woes
.
(a) United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Georgia, No. 05-91520. (b)
U.S. v. Tremayne Graham, et al
, United States District Court, District of South Carolina, No. 03- CR-1092. (c)
Franklin & Wilson Airport Concessions, debtor
, United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Georgia, No. 06-69773. (d)
U.S. v. Kai Franklin Graham
, United States District Court, District of South Carolina, No. 07-CR-517.

Firing on the marshals
.
U.S. v. Tremayne Graham, et al
, United States District Court, District of South Carolina, No. 03-CR-1092.

Calling “Magic” for backup
.
U.S. v. Deron Gatling, et al
, United States District Court, District of Missouri, No. 04-CR-1499.

“Do I believe that Tremayne Graham runs his mouth to Scott King about how much influence he has? Yes.”
Interviews with assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Moore, April 2007, July 2007, and December 2007.

The Space Mountain warrant
.
(a)
Affidavit and Application for a Search Warrant for 4363 Mount Paran Road
: Fulton County, Ga., Superior Court, Nov. 23, 2004. (b)
U.S. v. Dionne Beverly, et al
, United States District Court, Northern District of Georgia, No. 07-CR-233.

“We appreciate Miami. We appreciate the hospitality.”
Ill, in the January 2005 DVD magazine
Smack
, vol. 8.

“I don’t see no one to come after us, either. None. Nobody will ever do this again.”
Meech, in DVD magazine
Smack
, vol. 8.

“Two hundred thousand mixtapes later.”
DVD magazine
The Raw Report
, “Trap or Die.”

Jeezy’s praise
.
(a)
The Montgomery Advertiser
, March 17, 2005. (b)
The New York Times
, April 24, 2005. (c)
The Macon Telegraph
, May 6, 2005.

“When my album comes out, all the dots will connect.”
Jeezy, quoted March 12, 2005, in
Billboard
.

The Gucci–Jeezy beef
.
(a) “At the video shoot of Gucci Mane’s ‘Icy,’ ” April 14, 2005,
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
. (b) “Big Cat CEO Jacob York talks Gucci Mane arrest, says hip-hop cops gathering info,” July 25, 2005, AllHipHop.com. (c) Jeezy’s July 2005 interview with AllHipHop.com. (d) Interviews with attorneys Dennis Scheib and Ash Joshi, November 2006.

Club Money’s George “G. Money” Willis
.
(a) “The Year of Young Jeezy,” Jan. 1, 2006,
The Macon Telegraph
. (b) “Record label offering reward in shooting death of Macon rapper,” May 24, 2005,
The Macon Telegraph
.

Pookie Loc’s death
.
(a) DeKalb County, Ga., Department of Public Safety incident report, No. 05-064545. (b) “Record label offering reward in shooting death of Macon rapper,” May 24, 2005,
The Macon Telegraph
. (c) “Slain rapper was no stranger to law enforcement,” May 26, 2005,
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
.

“I know they did it.”
Radric “Gucci Mane” Davis, quoted by AllHipHop.com.

Gucci’s arrest
.
(a) “Rapper wanted in slaying turns self in,” May 20, 2005,
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
. (b) “Rapper in jail for weekend,” May 21, 2005.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
.

“They put out a contract on him.”
Dennis Scheib, Gucci’s attorney, quoted May 25, 2005 in the
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
story “Rapper facing murder charge freed from jail.”

“Here’s the situation: Five guys came in. They were BMF.”
Interviews with attorney Dennis Scheib, November 2006.

History of Loccish Lifestyle
.
Interviews with Carlos “Low Down” Rhodes, November 2006.

The birthday party stabbings
.
State of Georgia v. Marque Keimon Dixson
, Superior Court of Fulton County, Ga., No. 05-SC-34097.

Catching O-Dog
.
(a)
State of Georgia v. Omari McCree, et al
, Superior Court of Fulton County, Ga., No. 05-SC-31397. (b) Interviews with Fulton County Assistant District Attorney Rand Csehy, October 2006 and March 2008.

“Dude is Meech.”
From the statement given by Omari in the investigation
State of Georgia v. Omari McCree, et al
, Superior Court of Fulton County, Ga., No. 05-SC-31397.

Catching Kiki and his crew
.
(a)
U.S. v. Tremayne Graham, et al
, United States District Court, District of South Carolina, No. 03-CR-1092. (b)
Free at Last Bail Bonds v. Kai Franklin Graham
, United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Georgia, No. 05-6585. (b)
U.S. v. Ernest Watkins
, U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina, No. 0-962.

Catching Soup
.
(a)
U.S. v. Jamad Ali
, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, No. 02-115. (b)
Affidavit in Support of a Search Warrant
, filed June 30, 2005, in Essex
County, N.J. (c)
U.S. v. Jamad Ali
, U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey, No. 05-906. (d)
U.S. v. Tremayne Graham, et al
, United States District Court, District of South Carolina, No. 03-CR-1092.

The traffic stop
.
(a)
U.S. v. Terry Flenory, et al
, United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, No. 05-CR-80955. (b)
U.S. v. Dionne Beverly, et al
, United States District Court, Northern District of Georgia, No. 07-CR-233.

“A ruthlessness no one can touch and a weariness no one can cure.”
From the Dec. 25, 2005,
New York Times
story, “The year’s best albums and songs.”

Jeezy climbs the charts
.
From the Oct. 21, 2005, Billboardmonitor.com story, “Jeezy’s ‘Survivor’ story ends at No. 1.”

Closing in on Meech
.
(a)
Affidavit for a search warrant for 5173 Brandywine Lane, Frisco, Texas
, filed Oct. 20, 2005, in Collins County, Texas, Magistrate Court. (b)
Affidavit for a search warrant for 5173 Brandywine Lane, Frisco, Texas
, filed Oct. 20, 2005, in United States District Court, Eastern District of Texas, No. 05-M-166. (c)
U.S. v. Demetrius Flenory
, United States District Court, Eastern District of Texas, No. 05-213.

Closing in on
Terry. Terry Flenory, et al
, United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, No. 05-CR-80955.

Tonesa Welch
.
Welch, who was charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and to launder money, ultimately pleaded guilty only to the money-laundering charge.

Tailing Doc
. (a)
U.S. v. Dionne Beverly, et al
, United States District Court, Northern District of Georgia, No. 07-CR-233. (b)
U.S. v. William Marshall, et al
, United States District Court, Middle District of Florida, No. 05-CR-188.

Disenchantment with the BMF investigation
.
Interviews with Fulton County Assistant District Attorney Rand Csehy, October 2006 and March 2008.

O-Dog gets cold feet
.
State of Georgia v. Omari McCree, et al
, Superior Court of Fulton County, Ga., No. 05-SC-31397.

Terry’s guys talk
.
U.S. v. Terry Flenory, et al
, United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, No. 05-CR-80955.

“This is probably the highest-volume drug conspiracy in this district, ever.”
Assistant U.S. Attroney Dawn Ison, at a January 2005 hearing for the case
U.S. v. Terry
Flenory, et al
, United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, No. 05-CR-80955.