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Boy Found Safe After 7,000ft Balloon Drama

A six-year-old boy feared lost after a helium balloon broke free from its tether has told how he was hiding in the family attic all along.
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Balloon Boy Tells CNN: "We Did This for the Show"

Falcon, who said he had hidden in the attic because he was scared after his father scolded him earlier for having climbed into the balloon, aroused suspicion during an appearance on CNN's Larry King Live.

When asked why he stayed in hiding so long when people were calling his name, he said: "You guys (his parents) said that we did this for the show."
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Balloon Boy Dad 'Appalled' At Hoax Suggestion

The father of a boy who sparked panic after he was feared to have floated away in a homemade balloon has said he is "appalled" at claims the incident was a publicity stunt.

"To have people say that, I think, is extremely pathetic," Richard Heene told ABC's Good Morning America.

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Sheriff: Boy-in-balloon was hoax, charges expected

FORT COLLINS, Colo. - The story that a little boy had floated away in a giant helium balloon was a hoax concocted to land a reality television show, authorities said Sunday, and the boy's parents will likely face felony charges.

The stunt two weeks in the planning was a marketing ploy by Richard and Mayumi Heene, who met in acting school in Hollywood and have appeared on the ABC reality show "Wife Swap," Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden said. The Heenes have reportedly been working on a reality TV deal in Los Angeles.

Investigators are examining the possibility of other conspirators, "including the possibility that even some of the media outlets may have had some knowledge about this," Alderden said.

Documents show that a media outlet has agreed to pay money to the Heenes with regards to the balloon incident, Alderden said. He didn't name the media outlet, but said it was a show that blurs "the line between entertainment and news." It wasn't clear whether the deal was signed before or after the alleged hoax, or whether that media outlet was a possible conspirator.

Alderden did not name an outlet or provide any details.

"Let's call it (my statement) short of speculation that a media outlet was in on the hoax, but let's not discount the possibility," he said.

Six-year-old Falcon Heene may not have even been hiding in the rafters of the family's garage during the intense five-hour search for him Thursday, Alderden said.

"For all we know he may have been two blocks down the road playing on the swing in the city park," the sheriff said.

The stunt temporarily shut down Denver International Airport and caused the National Guard to scramble two helicopters in an attempt to rescue the boy, who was believed to be inside the flying-saucer shaped homemade balloon that hurtled more than 50 miles across two counties.

The drama played out on live television to millions of viewers worldwide. When the balloon landed without the boy in it, officials thought he had fallen out and began grim search for his body.

In fact, the balloon - which was held together with duct tape - would not have been able to launch with the 37-pound-boy inside, Colorado State University physics professor Brian Jones has determined.

The parents weren't under arrest, the sheriff said. He said he expected to recommend charges of conspiracy, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, making a false report to authorities and attempting to influence a public servant. Federal charges were also possible.

The most serious charges are felonies and carry a maximum sentence of six years in prison and a $500,000 fine. Alderden said they would be seeking restitution for the costs, though he didn't have an estimate.

The cost for just the two military helicopters was about $14,500.

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Sheriff Calls Balloon Boy a "Hoax," Specifies Criminal Charges
Sunday, October 18, 2009

The sheriff investigating the Balloon Boy incident said Sunday it was a "hoax" and a "publicity stunt" the boy's parents hoped to parlay into a reality TV show, and promised that charges would be presented to the local district attorney's office.

Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden said the charges against Richard and Mayumi Heene would include conspiracy, attempting to influence a public servant, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and false reporting to authorities.

Some of the most serious charges each carry a maximum sentence of six years in prison and a $500,000 fine.

In a news conference in Fort Collins, Colo., Alderden said he would ask the Federal Aviation Administration about further charges because the stunt endangered public transportation. There's also the matter of restitution, he said, but the dollar amount for the resources used Thursday to chase down the balloon and search for the boy still must be calculated.
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I never believed this "balloon boy" nonsense from the start.
I hope they prosecute them fully & make them pay
for all the emergency/rescue services used.
What a scam.[smiley=mad.gif]
Richard Heene and his wife, Mayumi =  [smiley=looser.gif]

The event was a comic gift for Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update.

A small replica of the Jiffy Pop-looking balloon floated next to anchor Seth Meyers and tried to talk to him. "Get out of here, balloon ... because you're NOT news," Meyers yelled. Meyers softened when the balloon apologized and said it wasn't his fault: "I'm just a balloon."

"Nobody's blaming you, balloon," Meyers said.

Seemingly relieved, the balloon left by confiding: "Oh, Seth, it was a hoax."

"Yeah, we know," Meyers said.

Saturday Night Live "Balloon Boy" parody
[video]

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Yup...too cute by half....sorta like this "andrea" waste of breath and bandwidth. I was missing Jonny's Trolldar....looked like a 12 yr old, acting like a 30 yr old, trying to act like a 12 yr old...sheesh.

Not to worry...I now see a delightful lime green...thank you DJ. Actually was looking forward to some entertainment...but the current crop of trolls
can't even manage a couple of days :P

Heene family/Balloon Boy on Wife Swap

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   [smiley=wow.gif]
[smiley=worried.gif]
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On a related issue...Falcon.
The video[s] of the little boy getting sick [there are two interviews this happened in which I won't post a direct video link to...you can research it if you really want to see it, Today show & ABC] shows a child really lethargic and who appears to be quite ill.

I have a suspicion they drugged him to keep him quiet for those interviews.
I could be wrong of course but with this family, it seems anything is possible.

 >:(

Jail for the lot of them.

The dad's haircut screams 'douchebag!!!'.
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jon019 wrote on Oct 19^th, 2009 at 12:14am:

Yup...too cute by half....sorta like this "andrea" waste of breath and bandwidth. I was missing Jonny's Trolldar....looked like a 12 yr old, acting like a 30 yr old, trying to act like a 12 yr old...sheesh. Not to worry...I now see a delightful lime green...thank you DJ. Actually was looking forward to some entertainment...but the current crop of trolls can't even manage a couple of days :P

What did my troll stick an I miss?

Scumbags for sure.  Make them pay for all the "rescue" efferts, big fine, then send them to jail.

I feel sorry for the kids.

Raven looks like an offspring of Mr. Spock.

When my wife first texted me that the balloon was found empty, I almost cried... thinking about the little boy falling 2000 feet to his death.

What a piece of Sh#@, exploting his kids, the media, the police, society, he can rot in jail the rest of his miserable, publicity seeking, egotistically inclined life.

Joes (still pissed) 2 cents worth

Redd wrote on Oct 19^th, 2009 at 10:28am:

What did my troll stick an I miss?

Nothin' but a knucklehead...sorry I mentioned it....
"it" was gone before y'all had to wonder WTF and break out the pine tar...thanks to the admins I feel well protected...

Best,

Jon

I can't wait until this stupid story winds up on CNN 2 or whatever it's called so it will go away....fat chance!

Buncha sleazeballs.

Charlie

At first I thought it was just a prank by some kids. I see that the father set the whole thing up. Thats why I wondered why the parent was being possibly fined or whatever.....after reading this I see why !!!

He should have known better. Rescue efforts cost money and could be used on real rescues.

Besides all that, it aint funny to make people think a kid fell to his death.

Very poor judgment indeed.
Cheers, Dave

Authorities: Balloon Boy's Mom Says Saga a Hoax
Published : Friday, 23 Oct 2009, 1:17 PM CDT

The mother of the 6-year-old boy once feared missing inside a runaway helium balloon admitted the whole saga was a hoax, according to court documents released Friday.

Mayumi Heene told sheriff's deputies that she and her husband Richard "knew all along that Falcon was hiding in the residence" in Fort Collins, according to an affidavit used to get a search warrant for the home.

She allegedly told investigators the incident was a hoax meant to make them more marketable to the media.

"Mayumi described that she and Richard Heene devised this hoax approximately two weeks earlier.... She and Richard had instructed their three children to lie to authorities as well as the media regarding this hoax," the affidavit said.

Richard Heene has denied a hoax. His lawyer, David Lane, said Friday he is waiting to see the evidence in the case.

"Allegations are cheap," Lane said.

Mayumi Heene's lawyer, Lee Christian, was traveling and didn't immediately respond to messages left with his office.

Sheriff's deputies questioned the parents separately on Oct. 17, two days after the flight. Mayumi Heene told authorities "she and Richard Heene had lied to authorities on October 15, 2009 (the day of the flight)," the affidavit said.

She told investigators "that the release of the flying saucer was intentional as a hoax.... The motive for the fabricated story was to make the Heene family more marketable for future media interest," the affidavit said.

The Heenes twice had appeared on ABC's reality show "Wife Swap," and acquaintances said Richard Heene had plans for other possible shows.

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Balloon Boy Halloween costume virtually flying off shelves

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Balloon Boy Game
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This guy shouldn't spend time in jail. He should be confined to his home where various pissed off people could stop by and pummel the prick on a regular schedule. START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGESTART PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE

Charlie