Crime does pay? A love letter to hot mugshots, and the crazy ways they changed a criminal’s life

The internet loves a celebrity mugshot, but if there’s one genre of crime photography that trumps even Robert Downey Jr’s brush with the law, it has to be the everyday people looking gorg in their post-crime piccies.

Hot mugshots are a timeless feature of internet culture, and while not all mugshots are created equally, choosing to serve c*nt after being arrested is nontheless iconic. More than that, a good mugshot can literally change perception. It’s the reason the likes of Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Bundy have fan clubs to this day, even after their abhorrent crimes.

It’s pretty privilege of the highest order, not that any of us BookTok-loving bad boy addicted people are complaining.

We do not condone crime here at The Tab, but we do condone serving face, so here are some hot criminals.

Jeremy Meeks was the original hot mugshot man

Credit: Stockton Police Department

If you search online for hot mugshots – don’t worry, no judgment – you’ll immediately be turned onto the OG of the trend, Jeremy Meeks. A former member of the Crips street gang, Jeremy was arrested in 2014 during a gang sweep called Operation Ceasefire in Stockton, California. Posting his mugshot to Facebook had the opposite effect, and soon enough, Jeremy was the subject of many thirsty online fan fictions.

Jeremy Meeks was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison, but upon leaving prison, he was immediately given a modelling contract with White Cross Management. He’s since appeared on magazine covers, worked for brands like Philipp Plein, and taken part in Milan Fashion Week. It also sparked a book deal and several appearances on TV and film.

Most Read

Exposed: The MAFS UK 2025 cast who already have new partners since the show

We know loads more juicy details about the holiday Julia-Ruth and Joe had together after MAFS

The Selling Sunset cast members who have actually sold the most and least houses

In the words of the ever-wise Britney Spears, “But mama, I’m in love with a criminal.”

‘Mugshot Max’ has now launched an OnlyFans

Max Whelan, a Kentucky man is going viral after being taken into custody.

He allegedly rear-ended a patrol cruiser while under the influence of alcohol.

When officers asked if Whelan had been drinking shots, mixed drinks or beer, he simply answered, "yes."

Thoughts? 🤣💀 pic.twitter.com/WC5raD3s3C

— Evan Kilgore 🇺🇸 (@EvanAKilgore) November 7, 2025

Just this month, an American called Max Whelan was arrested after he rear-ended a police cruiser that was stopped at a red light. He was found to be over twice the legal limit, with his blood alcohol coming back at 0.141 per cent. When officers inquired what type of booze he’d been drinking, questioning whether it was beer, shots, or cocktails, Max simply replied “yes.”

Before long, the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections had created a monster. Max’s model-worthy mugshot went viral, and he’s since launched an OnlyFans for the staggering price of $20 a month.

The Louvre thieves stole more than art; they also stole hearts

The two suspects in the Louvre heist make me wanna leave my jewelry out and my door unlocked tbh pic.twitter.com/Dxc2O0Wuxp

— Annika H Rothstein (@truthandfiction) November 3, 2025

When the Louvre was robbed of priceless artefacts in October, and in under seven minutes, the internet demanded to know which criminals had the balls to rob the museum in broad daylight. Quickly, a false story emerged with two insanely hot men at the centre of the scandal. While they actually had nothing to do with the crimes, it perfectly illustrated how a sexy mugshot is the ultimate form of pretty privilege. People wanted them released on the basis of their face cards alone.

Though it’s not clear what the man on the left did, the hottie on the right is Cedrick Wilcox Jr. He was arrested for petty theft in 2014, but sadly died in 2016 after being hit by a car. Ten years later, his picture is still being used in hot mugshot roundups on Instagram.

This guy got a modelling contract after his mugshot

Credit: Raleigh police department

In 2017, 20-year-old Mekhi Alante Lucky was arrested for speeding and driving a stolen vehicle. Despite the crime, his natural heterochromia landed him a modelling contract with St. Claire Modelling in New York. Fast forward almost 10 years, and he’s now an influencer and model who is still serving face, face, face.

For more like this, like The Tab on Facebook.

Featured image credit: Stockton Police Department/Raleigh police department/Louisville Metro Department of Corrections