Turns out crime DOES pay.
For most people, a mugshot isn’t something you’d want getting out in public.
For former crime Jeremy Meeks, it was his ticket to a life of riches and romance.
Meeks, 32, made headlines two years ago after his mugshot – complete with smouldering pout, icy blue eyes and gang marker “teardrop tattoo”, was posted to Facebook by the Stockton Police Department in Los Angeles.
He was dubbed “The World’s Hottest Criminal” – and it wasn’t long before modelling scouts took notice, as well as women around the globe who begged to be locked up with him.
“Let him go, he is beautiful,” one woman wrote on the department’s Facebook page.
“Sign me up to be his cell mate,” another woman joked.
He’s ‘one of the most violent criminals in the area’, the police department countered.
Today, the former inmate has been posting a series of glamourous photos to his Instagram account, including posing with a Maserati, swimming in a luxury pool and pulling his best Blue Steel.
He also posts shots beside his wife of eight years, Melissa, and his three children.
“Lovely – this is what is important. Keep this picture in your mind,” wrote one fan beside a picture of Meeks and his kids.
“Stay focused,” urged another.
In August last year, Meeks was photographed hanging out with Bella and Gigi Hadid’s younger brother Anwar, according to NY Mag, but it’s unclear whether he’s been able to accept any other modelling contracts or other offers as they may violate his parole, according to The Daily Mail.
But it’s clear Meeks knows that the way forward is to leave his life of crime behind. “I’m in a place where I will be able to provide for my family and really change my life,” he told ABC News.
“I never thought that everyone in the world would recognise me for my looks, so I feel extremely blessed and very thankful.”
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