'Hot Convict' Jeremy Meeks plans on modeling career after prison

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Saturday, February 28, 2015
Jeremy Meeks, 30, is seen in a June 18, 2014, booking photo released by the Stockton, Calif., Police Department.
creativeContent-Stockton Police Department/ABC News

Jeremy Meeks, the convicted felon who became internet famous last year after his mugshot went viral, says he's looking forward to a career in modeling and acting after his release from prison.

"I'm in a place where I will be able to provide for my family and really change my life," Meeks told ABC News from a Nevada prison. "I never thought that everyone in the world would recognize me for my looks, so I feel extremely blessed and very thankful."

Meeks became an Internet sensation last year when his mugshot went viral after the Stockton Police Department posted it on its Facebook page. Meeks was sentenced several weeks ago to 27 months of prison on weapon charges, but hopes for a November release that accounts for time served and good behavior.

Now signed with agent Jim Jordan of White Cross Management, Meeks told ABC News that he is working on "getting ripped" in preparation for his new career.

"I wish I could be on a show like 'Sons of Anarchy,'" said Meeks.

Jordan is confident Meeks' notoriety can propel him into a successful career. "There is a sea of opportunities waiting for him," Jordon said, who is working to set Meeks up with "modeling agencies around the world, endorsement deals and reality show interests."

Meeks said he wasn't intentionally giving his best "blue steel" pose for the mugshot that made him famous.

"I was just thinking about missing my family," he said. "I was really thinking about my son a lot at that moment, that was the only thing that was on my mind."

Until he's released, Meeks said he is keeping his head down and relying on backing from the outside.

"I've got a lot of support my family, my friends, and from my fans -- I get hundreds and hundreds of letters every month. I'm very thankful for all the support I've been getting," Meeks said.