'Affluenza' teen's dad convicted of pretending to be officer

Ethan Couch was 16 when he killed four people while driving with a blood-alcohol level of 0.24 on June 15, 2013. Here is everything you need to know. Ethan Couch was 16 when he killed four people while driving with a blood-alcohol level of 0.24 on June 15, 2013. Here is everything you need to know. Image 1 of / 47 Caption Close 'Affluenza' teen's dad convicted of pretending to be officer 1 / 47 Back to Gallery

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — The father of a Texas teenager who used an "affluenza" defense in a fatal drunken-driving wreck has been found guilty of falsely identifying himself as a peace officer.

Fred Couch, 51, was sentenced Wednesday in a Tarrant County courtroom to a year's probation. If he violates the terms, he could be jailed for up to 120 days.

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In a dashcam video shown to jurors, Couch is seen telling North Richland Hills police officers responding to a disturbance two years ago that he is a reserve officer.

Defense attorney Scott Brown argued to a jury this week that Couch, who carried a badge bearing the words "search and rescue" and "Lakeside Police," never asserted authority with it.

Couch's family has been embroiled in one legal drama after another in recent years.

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His son, Ethan Couch, was 16 when he killed four people in a 2013 drunken-driving wreck. His blood-alcohol level was three times above the legal limit for adult drivers when the crash occurred. A defense expert invoked the term "affluenza" in arguing during the sentencing phase of the teenager's trial that Couch's wealthy parents may have coddled him into a sense of irresponsibility. The condition is not recognized as a medical diagnosis by the American Psychiatric Association, and its use drew widespread derision.

The case of Ethan Couch, now 19, led to a protracted legal battle in which his attorneys argued he should be tried in juvenile court. A judge ultimately moved the matter to adult court and he is now serving a nearly two-year jail term.

The younger Couch's incarceration was triggered after it appeared he violated terms of his probation for the 2013 wreck when a video surfaced last December that showed him at a party with alcohol.

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Couch then disappeared and Tarrant County authorities say he fled to Mexico with his mother, Tonya Couch. They were found a few weeks later in the Mexican resort city of Puerto Vallarta. Ethan Couch appeared to have grown a beard and dyed his hair black.

Tonya Couch subsequently was indicted on charges of hindering apprehension of a felon and money laundering. She was released from home confinement over the summer and was tending bar in suburban Fort Worth.

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Her attorney, Stephanie Patten, has previously said her client did not break any state laws.

Fred and Tonya Couch are divorced.