‘Hot Convict’ Jeremy Meeks Reveals First Modeling Photo, Boasts More Than 300K Followers On Instagram

Jeremy Meeks initially turned heads in 2014 when his mugshot went viral and he was dubbed the “hot convict.” Meeks, whose rap sheet read like a resume, was arrested in Stockton, California, after a local gang sweep. Meeks ended up with a 27-month sentence after facing several felony weapons charges, but that’s not what made him famous. Instead, it was the hot convict’s chiseled features and piercing blue eyes that earned the real-life bad boy a fan following that still hasn’t quit.

Meeks ended up signing on with White Cross Management to begin a modeling career while he was still behind bars, according to People. After serving time on gang-related weapons charges, Jeremy Meeks was released from prison and spent some time on house arrest to round out his sentence.

Well, Meeks is a free man now and even though it’s been a while since he has been in the public eye, the hot convict is still racking up followers on social media. His Instagram account alone has more than 300,000 fans and counting.

On Thursday, Jeremy Meeks released one of his first headshots on Instagram. It shows the blue-eyed felon sporting a Golden State Warriors hat and his signature teardrop tattoo. Despite having been described as one of Stockton’s most violent criminals around the time of his arrest, Meeks’ fans flocked right back to their favorite law-breaking aspiring model and now the photo has already been liked more than 34,000 times.

It looks like Meeks has spent some time since his days in prison cleaning up his appearance even more. After his mugshot went viral in 2014, those who were in disbelief over the attention he received for having a good-looking mugshot dug up an old Facebook page as a way to prove that the mugshot was a fluke and Meeks wasn’t all that.

In those early pictures, Jeremy Meeks did look a bit unpolished, unlike the mugshot that got him dubbed a “hot convict.” He was sporting two gold teeth that seem to have been replaced since his incarceration. Meeks also seems to be really taking care of himself and continues to work out based on a recently uploaded shirtless photo.

When Meeks was released from prison 13 weeks ago, he posted a picture on Instagram with his new manager. He captioned the photo, “I want to thank my family and everybody for all your love, support and prayers. I’m overwhelmed and grateful for what lies ahead. I’m ready.”

According to reports, upon his release, Jeremy Meeks was sent to a halfway house for further rehabilitation. He is on house arrest until sometime in July. After he is free to come and go, fans of the felonious model can expect to see much more of him as Meeks works to ramp up his modeling career.

Meeks has said that he appreciates all the attention that he received for his mugshot photo and that he never thought he’d get famous just because of the way he looks. According to The Telegraph, Meeks is a married man and father of three. In an interview last year, Meeks said that he hopes that his new modeling career can help change his life and the lives of his family.

Check out “hot felon” Jeremy Meeks’ first official (and beautiful) modeling headshot https://t.co/WFsTgLQjrx pic.twitter.com/KE3uA1VpZM

— PAPER Magazine (@papermagazine) June 14, 2016

“I’m in a place where I will be able to provide for my family and really change my life,” Jeremy Meeks said in an interview with ABC via The Telegraph. “I never thought that everyone in the world would recognize me for my looks, so I feel extremely blessed and very thankful.”

Fans of the “hot convict” Jeremy Meeks are hoping that he means what he says and will use this opportunity and sudden fame to change his life as well. Based on the number of Instagram followers who are paying attention to every photo that he posts, Meeks has a pretty good chance of success.

[Photo by Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images]