‘Affluenza teen’ Ethan Couch back in jail after authorities say he failed drug test

“Affluenza teen" Ethan Couch was back in jail Thursday after authorities say he violated the terms of his probation.

Couch, now 22, tested positive for THC, the main psychoactive compound in marijuana, court documents show. No bail was set, and a judge said he should remain behind bars until a motion to revoke his probation is filed.

He was released from the Tarrant County jail April 2, 2018 — two days before his 21st birthday. As part of the conditions of his release, he was required to wear a substance-abuse test patch.

Couch had spent nearly two years behind bars for charges stemming from a June 15, 2013, crash in which he killed four people while driving drunk.

He was 16 and had been drinking at a party in Burleson when he got behind the wheel of a Ford F-350 with seven passengers. Couch swerved off the road, going 70 mph in a 40-mph zone, and drove into a group of people who were stopped with a disabled vehicle.

Hollie Boyles, 52; Shelby Boyles, 21; Brian Jennings, 41; and Breanna Mitchell, 24, were killed. Two teenagers riding in the bed of the pickup — Sergio Molina and Soliman Mohmand — were seriously injured, and seven other people suffered minor injuries.

Couch’s blood alcohol content was 0.24 percent — three times the limit for adults to legally drive — authorities said.

The teen was charged with four counts of intoxication manslaughter, and his case made national headlines when a psychologist testified that he suffered from “affluenza” because a dysfunctional relationship with his wealthy parents had destroyed any sense of personal responsibility he may have had.

Couch was sentenced — controversially — to rehab and 10 years of probation in 2014.

In December 2015, the then-18-year-old was thrust back into the spotlight after video on Twitter appeared to show him at a party where alcohol was being served, breaking the terms of his probation.

Couch and his mother, Tonya Couch, then fled to Mexico, where they were captured in the resort town of Puerto Vallarta in late December. Officials were able to find them after they used a cellphone to order pizza from Domino’s.

Ethan Couch’s case was moved to the adult court system when he turned 19, and State District Judge Wayne Salvant sentenced him to 720 days in jail — 180 days for each of the people he had killed.

Upon his release, Salvant required Couch to wear the substance-abuse patch, submit to random drug tests and use an ignition interlock device on his vehicle. He also had a 9 p.m. curfew enforced by a GPS-equipped ankle monitor, but the judge released him from that condition in March.

Couch’s mother, who faces charges of hindering the apprehension of a fugitive and money laundering, has been in and out of custody since the pair were returned to Texas.

Under the conditions of her bond, Couch, 52, is not allowed to use alcohol, drugs or any medication — including aspirin, cough syrup and vitamins — or to possess weapons.

She was arrested in March 2018 after authorities said she failed a urinalysis test. She was released two months later but was back behind bars from June to October after testing positive for methamphetamine.

In April, she was accused of failing another drug test and was held at the Tarrant County jail until September, court records show.

Couch has asked the court for financial assistance, arguing that her notoriety makes it impossible for her to maintain steady employment. She faces up to 10 years in prison on each count if convicted.