Tonya Couch, Mother Of ‘Affluenza’ Teen Ethan Couch, Indicted

Tonya Couch, the mother of “Affluenza” teen Ethan Couch, was indicted Thursday for helping her son flee to Mexico.

Tonya Couch Indicted

Couch, who was indicted by a Tarrant County grand jury, has been charged with both hindering apprehension and money laundering, NBC News reported. Prior to driving across the Mexican border with her son, then 18, Couch had withdrawn $30,000 from a bank account.

The Couch mother and son duo were apprehended in Puerto Valarta on Dec. 28 after crossing into Mexico earlier in the month. Upon returning to the United State in January, Couch was jailed at the Tarrant County Jail. She was released after posting a $75,000 bond.

Ethan Couch, meanwhile, is imprisoned at the Tarrant County Lon Evans Correction Center and has been sentenced to nearly two years in jail, after which time he can continue his 10-year probation that he received in juvenile court.

With adult probation, Couch, 19, might have to wear a GPS ankle monitor. It’s also possible that he’ll be subjected to alcohol monitoring. If Couch were to break the rules of his probation, it’s possible he could be sent back to jail.

In 2013, Couch was underage and three times the legal alcohol limit when he struck and killed four people. The term “Affluenza” was coined after Couch’s lawyers successfully convinced the jury that their client didn’t know right from wrong due to his wealthy upbringing.