Conrad Hilton, the younger brother of celebrity heiress Paris Hilton, has reached a plea deal: He would admit guilt to misdemeanor assault against flight attendants in exchange for a federal felony charge being dropped, court papers says.
The deal would require prosecutors to recommend probation for Hilton, who also allegedly called passengers “peasants” on a London-to-Los Angeles flight last summer.
Hilton, 20, is scheduled to appear Thursday in federal court, but he is not expected to plead guilty at that time, said spokesman Thom Mrozek of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Hilton, who is free on $100,000 bond, was initially charged with a felony that could have carried a prison sentence up to 20 years upon a conviction.
The misdemeanor charge carries up to a six-month prison sentence and a fine of at least $5,000, but federal prosecutors have agreed that they would “recommend that defendant be sentenced to a term of probation,” court records said.
Admitting to smoking pot on plane
The class B misdemeanor accuses Hilton of assaulting two flight attendants aboard a British Airways flight on July 31, 2014, “by intentionally using a display of force that reasonably caused (the attendants) to fear immediate bodily harm,” according to court documents filed last week.
Hilton signed court papers last week that state he “repeatedly entered the bathroom to smoke marijuana and tobacco” during Flight 269 from London to Los Angeles, court papers said.
“He also become belligerent toward some of the flight attendants,” according to court papers signed by Hilton and his attorney.
His attorney couldn’t be immediately reached for comment Wednesday.
At one point, Hilton told one flight attendant multiple times that “I am going to f—— kill you,” according to the court papers.
Hilton also “punched at, but missed” another flight attendant, the court documents said.
‘My father will pay this out’
A more complete description of events aboard the flight was provided in initial court papers filed in early February. Those alleged Hilton threatened and intimidated flight attendants, scared parents and disengaged a bathroom smoke alarm.
The court documents alleged Hilton punched the bulkhead next to an attendant’s head, missing his face by about 4 inches, and told the crew, “I could get you all fired in five minutes. I know your boss!”
“My father will pay this out, he has done it before. Dad paid $300,000 last time,” Hilton allegedly told a flight attendant.
Hilton’s father is Rick Hilton, the grandson of the Hilton Hotel empire’s founder, Conrad Nicholson Hilton. Rick Hilton and his wife of more than 30 years, Kathy, are parents of four children: Paris, Nicky, Barron and Conrad.
“They are … peasants”
Conrad Hilton left his seat five minutes after takeoff, even though the “fasten seat belt” sign was still on, authorities said. Another flight attendant said Hilton rose from his seat at least 20 times during the 10½-hour flight, court documents said.
When Hilton became enraged because a flight attendant was following him, he shouted several times that “I am going to f—— kill you!” and used other vulgarities, court papers said.
Passengers became frightened and disturbed, authorities said.
A French family was seated behind Hilton, and the father got out of his seat and leaned “over his kids in a protective gesture” during one of Hilton’s rants, a flight attendant told authorities, according to court papers.
Hilton yelled several times, saying “I will f—— own anyone on this flight; they are f—— peasants.”
Hilton also accused the flight attendants of “taking the peasants’ side” and then said he was angry because he had just broken up with a girlfriend, court papers said. He bragged that he was already banned by other airlines.
Smoke detector disabled
At some point during the flight, the attendant saw Hilton go into a bathroom and smelled cigarette smoke coming from it, authorities said.
The flight’s pilot, who was second-in-command to the captain, “noticed the smoke detector above the bathroom ceiling had been stuffed with paper towels, apparently to prevent the smoke alarm from sounding,” court papers said.
The pilot later confronted Hilton, and Hilton surrendered a used pack of cigarettes and a lighter, authorities said.
Hilton returned to his seat and fell asleep.
The captain authorized crew members to form a “restraint team” to constrain Hilton before he woke up, authorities said in court papers.
The crew used a blanket and handcuffs on Hilton about 75 minutes before the plane landed, authorities said.
“I could get all of their jobs taken away”
He awoke while being restrained and began screaming obscenities, court documents said.
“As Hilton was being restrained, he told the flight attendants he was a model and that they were ‘going to ruin my career,’ ” according to an affidavit by FBI agent David Gates filed in court in early February.
Later, in an interview with the FBI the same day, Hilton said he started his travels in Mykonos, Greece, had a connection in Athens, and then traveled to London, authorities said.
He took a sleeping pill before boarding the flight to Los Angeles, court papers said.
Hilton admitted to calling people “peasants” on the flight, but he “denied having a confrontation with a flight attendant near the start of the flight but acknowledged having other issues with flight attendants,” the affidavit said.
Hilton allegedly told the FBI agent: “I told all of them I could get all of their jobs taken away in less than 30 seconds,” the affidavit said.