Heidi Fleiss arrested for drug possession

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Former Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss was arrested and charged with possession of prescription drugs and driving under the influence on Thursday morning outside Las Vegas.

A statement issued by Nevada's Nye County Sheriff's office said deputies responded to a possible drunk driver a little after 9 a.m. Thursday morning in the town of Pahrump.

Deputies stopped Fleiss and found drugs but no prescription. A passenger, John Owen, also was arrested on charges of being under the influence of controlled substances and possession of marijuana.

Reached by phone, Fleiss told Reuters she was stopped in a parking lot when an officer approached her. She had taken Owen, a plumber, to a hardware store, she said.

Fleiss admitted carrying the pain killer Vicodin, but said she has a prescription, only it was not with her. Fleiss said she must appear in court and show the prescription.

"I'm squeaky clean this time," Fleiss said.

Fleiss was convicted in 1997 on tax evasion charges in connection with a prostitution ring she was accused of running that catered to Hollywood celebrities. Her arrest and trial made headlines around the world.

Subsequently, she was involved with actor Tom Sizemore and accused him of domestic violence. More recently, she moved to Nevada, where she had planned to build a legal brothel.

(Reporting by Justin Kroll and Alexandria Sage; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)