Paris Hilton faces a felony charge after Las Vegas arrest

Paris Hilton is facing a felony charge for her arrest on suspicion of cocaine possession, according to the police report about the Friday night incident in Las Vegas.

While she waited to see what happened with her boyfriend, Cy Waits -- he was arrested on suspicion of DUI -- she asked police if she could use a restroom at the nearby Wynn, according to the police report. Police agreed, saying in the report that removing her from the crowd that had formed would benefit their investigation.

Hilton was escorted to the Wynn security office bathroom, the report said, and when she went for lip balm in her purse, a bindle that was determined to contain 0.8 gram of cocaine fell out. Also in the purse: credit cards, $1,300 cash and a broken albuterol tablet that Hilton said were her possessions, plus Zig Zag rolling papers and some cosmetics that, along with the cocaine, she said were not hers.

According to TMZ, Hilton is telling people she loaned out the purse recently to a friend, who "probably" put the cocaine there.

Police told the Las Vegas Review Journal that the heiress received no special treatment, saying that because of crowding, about a quarter of suspects with nonviolent records are released on their own recognizance. Hilton spent about three hours in custody, though in isolation, because her celebrity might otherwise have been disruptive, police said.

In Nevada, a category E felony carries with it a sentence of one to four years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000; the court can also grant probation on a first offense.

-- Christie D'Zurilla

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Photo credit: Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department / Getty Images

Related dispatches from the Ministry of Gossip:

Paris Hilton: Mug shots, and a word from her lawyer

Paris Hilton arrested for cocaine possession in Las Vegas

Comments

[john]

Money talks and you know what walks! She won't do any time. Daddy will take of that. Lock her up and throw away the key!!

[markusgarvey]

lock her up...she is a liar...no one 'leaves' their coke...she should get what the avg person would get...thrown in jail...

[billos]

No....Joe Sixpack faces up to 4 years. This prima donna won't see any time. Money, Money.

[Eddie C]

Look at her mugshot - it's all a joke to her. About time reality paid Ms. Hilton a little visit.

[Snarky Mark]

If it were anyone else, I'd ask how someone could be stupid enough to voluntarily open their cocaine-laden purse while under police supervision. Lip balm? Seriously? LMAO!

[Newenglander]

Has anyone considered she asked to go to the bathroom so she could flush the cocaine down the toilet and fumbled it instead?

Lying about it to an officer is a felony. So, she has cocaine and what I think is a made up story about someone putting it in her bag. If a jury doesn't buy that, she can be convicted of lying to an officer in addition to having cocaine.

[carol h.]

Does it matter? This shallow, selfish, self promoted idiot, will walk away. The Hilton's and the Lohan's always do. The officials keep saying they get no special treatment. But that is BS. Of course they do. No matter how often this woman is picked up, she is released to do it again. She thumbs her nose, when her nose isn't being used to sniff cocaine, at the rules. She thinks they do not apply to her. And why not?

If she never pays a personal price instead of legal fees, she has no reason to believe she ever will. I cannot understand how this woman can exist while being so useless.

[JustinCase]

She won't do time, but it is simply because it is not necessary for any rich person to get time in Las Vegas, Nevada, where money is king, as long as no one is killed and no one tries to rob a casino.

[Patricia]

I think the other comments here prove that the War on Drugs is not about helping people get better.

It's really about our desire to pound the weak into the ground.

[Carlyle Moulton]

Prosecutor's please pretend that she is poor and black and go for the maximum 4 years.

If pretty white heiresses start get long sentences the same as poor blacks get, the drug war which properly should be called the war on niggers will not last very much longer.

PS.

Why is not Robert Downey Junior doing a 25 year to life sentence in California? Answer he is neither poor nor black.

[Robbi Joy]

When are we going to say ENOUGH of the priviledged skating on one charge after the other.

Best justice money can buy.

[Robbi Joy]

It will only matter when she finally goes drunk/loaded driving and kills a family -- that is, if it a family that matters like a politician, perhaps another "star"

[Carlyle Moulton]

Why is America so attached to the drug war when it does so much damage. The reason is the rich and white exception to drug law enforcement, the war simply does not do much damage to anyone who matters such as Paris Hilton and Robert Downey Junior.

Were the rich and white exception to drug law enforcement removed the laws would not last much longer.

[Bebop]

Maybe she will have to do 9 hard days like Lindsey.

[ggopinion]

OK.... so I loan my purse to a friend, (which is kinda wierd), but when I get the purse back, I don't CLEAN IT OUT??? I just dump my stuff in it, without looking at what was left behind??? please!

[Warhorse overseas]

This shallow, selfish, self promoted idiot don't know what to do with her money, please hand the money to me, I don't do coke or any drugs. I can use the money. Everyone is right, she won't do any time because she got the money.

[pinkblings]

lol her mug shot looks cute! Does she think she's posing for a photo shoot? I'd be real depressed if I were in her position, never mind smiling.... Maybe that's another pic of her that was posted for this Web's reference. Oh well, good luck Paris! If you get lucky this time, please learn your lesson and stop telling lame lies next time.