Conrad Hilton, the younger brother of Paris Hilton, has agreed to a plea deal for misdemeanor assault for his behavior during a British Airways flight in which he is accused of threatening to kill crew members.
Hilton signed an agreement on Tuesday and is scheduled to
appear in court Thursday, The Associated Press reported. An official plea will come later.
In exchange for the plea, prosecutors said they will recommend probation for Hilton. The charge reportedly carries a maximum sentence of six months in jail, a year of probation, and a $5,000 fine, the AP said.
During the July flight from London to Los Angeles, 20-year-old Hilton is accused of refusing to turn off his cell phone or fasten his seat belt, leaving his seat numerous times, threatening passengers and crew members, punching the plane’s bulkhead, and
smoking marijuana and a cigarette, GQ reported.
“He was being demeaning. I thought he was in the middle of a psychotic episode. For at least an hour I was thinking: Are we going to have to go back? Are they going to turn the plane around?” passenger Patricia Mitchell said, according to the magazine.
Hilton was eventually restrained with handcuffs and later interviewed by the FBI upon landing.
The criminal complaint against Hilton said he knowingly assaulted and intimidated flight attendants.
According to the affidavit, Hilton paced the aisles of the airplane and shouted such things as “I will (expletive) own anyone on this flight; they are (expletive) peasants,” and passengers seemed frightened by his tirades.
Hilton’s lawyer, Robert Shapiro, said the effects of a sleeping pill may have contributed to his client's behavior, the AP noted.
Twitter users analyzed the plea deal.