Richard Heene, who orchestrated the balloon boy hoax with his wife and three kids, began his sentence this morning at the Larimer County Detention Center in Fort Collins, Colorado.
He pleaded guilty in November to one felony count of attempting to influence a public servant, and will serve 30 days behind bars for his crime. He’ll also be required to serve another 60 days in a work release program, and perform 100 hours of community service per year for the next four years.
Richard Heene released a new video to CNN the other day, showing the moment that their giant Mylar balloon flew away last year.
Check out the fun at the 3:30 mark.
Balloon Boy couple, Richard and Mayumi Heene were both sentenced to time behind bars in court today.
Richard was sentenced first to 90 days in prison (with 60 of the days on a “work-release program”), and four years probation. Mayumi was sentenced 20 days in jail, which she will be serving after Richard completes his time.
Richard was seen tearing up and apologizing for the incident during the hearing. He’ll be required to begin his sentence on January 11, 2010.
The Larimer County D.A.’s office has reportedly sent Richard and Mayumi Heene a $42,000 bill for costs relating to the rescue effort to save their son Falcon who they claimed flew away in a Mylar balloon.
The money will reimburse the police, the national guard, and the FAA, who all directed their resources to helping to save the boy on October 15.
The Heene’s lawyer says that the family won’t be paying up until they get receipts to prove all of the costs.
Mayumi and Richard Heene have both just pleaded guilty to charges relating to the balloon boy hoax that they orchestrated last month.
Richard Pleaded guilty to a felony, and Mayumi to a misdemeanor charge. They’re both due back in court for sentencing on December 23.
Richard Heene turned himself in to to the cops earlier today for his felony charge of attempting to influence a public servant in the balloon boy hoax. He was booked and released.
His wife Mayumi is expected to turn herself in soon as well. Neither or them will be required to serve any jail time at the moment.
Richard and Mayumi Heene’s attorney announced this morning that his clients will plead guilty to charges relating to the balloon boy hoax which they orchestrated last month.
Mayumi will plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of false reporting to authorities, and Richard will plead guilty to one felony charge of attempting to influence a public servant.
Richard is facing up to six years in jail for his offense, but the prosecutor has recommended probation. The couple decided to accept the plea deal after realizing that Mayumi, who is a citizen of Japan, could face deportation if convicted of more serious charges.
Richard and Mayumi Heene’s family lawyer told reporters yesterday that his clients will be turning themselves in when charges are filed against them for orchestrating the Balloon Boy hoax. Attorney David Lane said,
I have instructed my client, ‘Do not sit down with law enforcement and try and talk your way out of something. You don’t know what you’re dealing with.
The couple faces up to six years in prison and a $500,000 fine. Child Protective Services is also looking into whether or not to remove the couple’s three boys from the home.
When Richard Heene somehow tricked pretty much the entire country into believing that a little Mylar balloon carried his 6-year-old son Falcon halfway across the state of Colorado last week, we figured he was just some old dude looking for publicity (kind of like Jon Gosselin). Now, however, it seems that finding a weird way to get famous hasn’t exactly been the only thing on Richard’s mind.
Here are just a few crazy theories that Balloon Boy’s dad has been working on:
1. Lizard People Are Taking Over: Richard Heene is convinced that alien reptilian creatures are currently living among us, waiting for the right time to come out and take over. He believes that the lizard men have a plan to control us all by shape shifting, and sneaking their way into the U.S. government.
2. The Apocalypse: Richard thinks that the world will end in 2012 when the sun will blow up and destroy the earth.
3. Alien Parents: Richard is convinced that his mother and father are aliens. According to him, he had a vision after he fell down and hit his head one day. Aliens came and told him that they were his parents. Since then, he’s devoted his life to meeting them again.
4. Tornado Dissipation: Richard believes that he can stop tornadoes with a self-made “tornado cannon”.
5. Moon Aliens: Richard thinks that UFOs fly around the moon. They can be seen by the naked eye on clear nights.
6. Mind Reading: Richard is pretty sure that he can read minds.
Richard and his wife Mayumi are now facing up to 6 years in prison and a $500,000 fine for orchestrating their balloon boy hoax.
Sheriff Jim Alderman of the Larimer County Sheriff’s Department announced in a press conference late last night that he would probably be charging the Heene family with a class 3 misdemeanor for orchestrating the balloon boy hoax.
The charge will allow the sheriff’s department to go after the family for the cost of the search and rescue mission.
Another Balloon Boy post.
Here’s a video of Richard Heene launching the balloon that he supposedly thought his son Falcon was in. As you may recall, Richard told reporters yesterday that Falcon had crawled inside the balloon, and that the tethers had somehow come loose when he wasn’t watching. Doesn’t quite look like that here.
