‘Handsome’ felon set to answer to gang, weapons charges this week

The man dubbed the “handsome” felon may be guilty of stealing the hearts of admirers online with his flattering Stockton police mug shot, but he has yet to enter a plea when it comes to the gang and weapons charges filed against him.

Jeremy Meeks, 30, who became an Internet sensation after his mug shot was posted by Stockton police, is accused of having gang ties and carrying a gun and marijuana in his car’s glove compartment, as well as having an unregistered handgun in the trunk. He’s scheduled to be arraigned Friday on 11 felony counts in all and is being held in lieu of $1 million bail.

The Stockton Police Department’s Facebook page went viral soon after Meeks’ mug shot was posted, garnering more than 50,000 “likes,” 14,700 comments and more than 5,400 shares roughly a day later.

At the time he was taken into custody, Meeks was on probation for a resisting arrest conviction and not permitted to have a gun, the San Joaquin County district attorney’s office said in a statement.

Meeks was arrested by Stockton police about 6:30 a.m. June 12 after he and others were seen leaving a home where a search warrant was about to be executed. Meeks was the driver of a car with two passengers.

Prosecutors allege that when officers searched the car, they found a 9-millimeter round and a loaded semiautomatic handgun, along with two extended magazines for the gun, according to the San Joaquin County prosecutors.

One of the passengers in Meeks’ car, 23-year-old Terry Bailey, is on probation and facing similar charges.

Meeks has already served two years in state prison for a 2002 conviction on grand theft in Solano County, according to prosecutors.

But in an interview with KXTV, Meeks said he’s done things in his past that he should not have, but that he’s not a hardened criminal. “I just want them to know that this is really not like me, I’m not some kingpin,” he said.

He told the news station that he spent years in prison for grand theft and that the teardrop tattoo on his cheekbone was for “doing some things in his past he is not proud of.”

His mother has set up a legal defense fund and also maintains her son’s criminal past is behind him.

For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna.