Hermes heir charged in flight fracas

NEW YORK, Oct. 17 (UPI) -- Socialite Mathias Guerrand-Hermes has been charged with interfering with crew members after he allegedly became unruly on an Air France flight.

The New York Times said the 36-year-old heir to the French fashion house Hermes was arraigned Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn.

Under federal sentencing guidelines, if convicted, he would face a maximum of six months in prison, so long as he doesn't have a criminal record, the Times said.

Guerrand-Hermes, who lives in New York, is accused of grabbing the crotch of the captain of a Paris to New York flight, then trying to punch him as he was instructed to return to his seat after perching on another passenger's armrest.

The Times quoted officials as saying in the charges that it took three flight attendants and the captain to restrain, handcuff and tie him to a seat in the plane's first-class section.

Officials said Guerrand-Hermes, whose father Patrick Guerrand-Hermes is president of the Federation of International Polo, had taken the prescription drug, Propofan, and "quite a bit of alcohol" before the incident.

His lawyer, Craig Warkol, declined to comment on the case to the Times.