All it took was smoke coming out of a Cadillac on the Las Vegas strip that landed Paris Hilton in hot water.
The 29-year-old heiress was arrested on felony cocaine possession after police stopped a car she was in late Friday evening after an officer suspected marijuana odor, The Associated Press reported. During an inspection, according to police, a bag of cocaine fell out of Hilton’s purse.
Police Sgt. John Sheahan commented that the officer "followed the vapor trail and the odor of marijuana to the Escalade.”
At the time, Hilton was with her boyfriend, Wynn Las Vegas nightclub manager, Cy Waits. According to Sheahan, Hilton requested going into the Wynn resort for privacy. When she took out some lip balm, said the police sergeant, “a bindle of cocaine in a plastic bag came out of her purse," in front of law enforcement.
If Hilton is convicted of the low-grade felony, she would receive probation. However if she violates the probation, Hilton could face one to four years in Nevada jail.
Her boyfriend Waits was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor of driving under the influence. They were booked at the Clark County jail and were later released yesterday separately.
"Paris Hilton was released this morning on her own recognizance,” said her lawyer David Chernoff in a statement. “This matter will be dealt with in the courts not in the media and I encourage people not to rush to judgment until all of the facts have been dealt with in a court of law.”
U.S. & World
This isn’t the first time that Hilton had a run-in with the law. Early this summer, the socialite was arrested in South Africa on allegations of drug possession, but the marijuana charges were later dismissed. Just prior to that, she was detained by police in Corsica for possessing a gram of marijuana in her purse; she was later released without charge.
In 2007, Hilton served jail time for violating probation after her DUI arrest. She was sentenced to 45 days for driving with a suspended license, but it was reduced for good behavior.
At the time Hilton said that jail had changed her and was now going to use her fame for the better. "I'm so much more grateful for everything that I have, even just to have a pillow at night or food," she once told E! News's Ryan Seacrest.
Selected Readings: The Associated Press, People, Access Hollywood
