Man whose mugshot went viral now has Hollywood modeling agent, but remains in jail on $1.1M bail
Jeremy Meeks
Facebook / Stockton
Police Department
With less than $5,000 raised on a crowdfunding site toward his $1.1 million bail, it doesn’t appear that Jeremy Meeks will be getting out of jail anytime soon.
But when he does, the photogenic convicted felon may have a lucrative future of legal employment awaiting him. After he was arrested in Stockton, California, and his mugshot went viral, modeling agencies and television reality programs became eager to sign him and help tell what could be an inspirational story, says Gina Rodriguez, a Hollywood agent who also became aware of Meeks due to his latest arrest.
“I think that people love to hear these kinds of stories,” Rodriguez told Fox 411. “I think that it could change a lot of people’s opinions if Jeremy comes out and he’s a stand-up guy.”
The first priority is to get her new client–who faces 11 felony counts related to alleged gang membership, possession of a firearm and parole violation–out from behind bars, Rodriguez tells Fox 411. She said she is trying to help Meeks get a lawyer who can argue for lower bail.
However, not everyone is a fan. Among those who wonder why Meeks is suddenly famous and gaining popular support is criminal defense attorney Darren Kavinoky, who hosts Investigation Discovery’s Deadly Sins.
“It’s totally insane and it speaks poorly of where we are,” Kavinoky told Fox 411. “We are so enamored with appearance and attractiveness that we are willing to totally disregard that we’re talking [about] somebody who is a criminal, someone who has a long rap sheet and a history of convictions.”
See also:
ABAJournal.com: “Photogenic arrestee’s mug shot goes viral”
