'09
In a move that was a bit of a surprise, a judge has sentenced both Richard and Mayumi Heene, mom and dad to Falcon Heene, better known as “Balloon Boy,” to jail time for their part in a hoax that captured national attention back in October. The Heenes plead guilty – Richard to felony charges of attempting to influence a public servant and Mayumi to misdemeanor false reporting to authorities. Both were expecting to serve no jail time and be on probation for the plea agreement – but the judge in the case wasn’t having it.
Richard Heene — the moron behind the Balloon Boy hoax — was just sentenced to 90 days in jail for his role in the October incident. The judge has allowed Heene to serve 60 of the 90 days on a “work-release program” — in which he’ll be allowed to seek work as a construction contractor while doing his time.
Richard was also ordered to 4 years probation. The judge also imposed a condition forbidding Richard from profiting from the Balloon Boy hoax during the four year period of his probation.
During the hearing, Heene appeared to be choking back tears and he apologized for the incident.
Heene will begin his sentence on January 11, 2010.
UPDATE: Mayumi Heene was sentenced to 20 days in jail for her role, which she’ll serve after her husband completes his time.
In addition, the Heenes were ordered to pay a $42,000 fine – the amount the state of Colorado spent trying to find and rescue Falcon, who was hiding in the garage the whole time. Wow! The state of Colorado doesn’t mess around! Let’s hope this entire story serves as a cautionary tale to famewhore parents around the country. I do feel sorry for the kids, though. Their parents put their own desire to be on TV before the well being of their children. It’s gonna be a weird Christmas in the Heene house, that’s for sure!
Written by MSat
Posted in Balloon Boy, Jail, Photos
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27 Responses to “Richard and Mayumi Heene, balloon boy’s parents, are going to jail”
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After reading this, I couldn’t stop saying, OMG. OMG. OMG. I mean really? Wow. This judge needs to move to LA and handle some celebrity cases. Asap.
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I’m glad they didn’t get off easy. Most importantly I’m glad they have to reimburse for the expenses (I’ve read there’s also going to be an $11,000 fine from the FAA) and are barred from profiting on this. In 4 years time, a million other stupid things will have happened and no one will care about these idiots enough to offer them anything. Having to physically spend time in jail is probably the only shot at getting through to them what they did.
I feel bad for their kids too, but have the feeling this is just one more in a long list of ways their parents have messed up.
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WOW! It’s like a “thank-you gift” for their stupidity! We need more judges like this one. Maybe then we wouldn’t only have to rely on Darwinism to breed out stupidity!
Merry Christmas everyone!
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All I can say is ‘Ha Ha!’
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I love that he has to go to jail but I’m sorry that the mother has to go. I think this was all his stupid idea and she had to go along with it. He should be spending her time in jail as well as his. But, at least they didn’t get off with just a slap on the wrist.
I think the kids will be just fine. They’ve put up with their crazy daddy all their lives. This was just another in a long line of stupidity. They’ll just shake it off and move on with yet another story to tell their own kids!!
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@ Essie, the mom did not just “go along with it” – she chose to do this along with her husband. Even if this wasn’t partly her idea, she still condoned it by not doing anything to stop it.
Both of these fucking idiots are getting better than they deserve.
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Jail time seems a little harsh but since publicity is the gold standard these days a stiff sentence is probably the only way to keep stunts like this from tying up our emergency resources in the future.
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Based on interviews, videos, etc that came out, the husband is completely dominate and in control. The wife seems subservient(sp?) and just a follower. Not that I’m trying to dismiss her actions. They both suck. I wonder if child services are involved.
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While I agree that both of them are shameless fame hounds and it’s only fair that they should have to pay for the money that was invested in the fictitious rescue of their child, sending these two desperate, mentally unstable individuals to prison is FAR too exaggerate.
OK, they did something wrong. People who do worse things manage to escape prison and these two go to prison for craving fame in a stupid way? Unbelievable.
That’s what not being able to pay for a good lawyer does to you. If they had had enough money, by now they would have been given their own reality show.
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I think I speak for everyone when I say: MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
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Yep, sounds about right.
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They got off very easy, jail-wise. The monetary penalty should have been punitive as well.
I just saw these morons on Wife Swap last week, they’ve always been media-whores and phonies. Mayumi is incredibly lucky she wasn’t deported. They should say “Thank you”, then STFU.
Merry Christmas all.
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What these assholes did was inexcusable. They DESERVE jail time. And I think they deserve worse than they got. This was ALL of their doing. If they “crave” fame, well good for them. But CHOOSING TO ACT OUT THIS ELABORATE AND EXPENSIVE HOAX…..the tax payers and citizens should NOT have to be punished for the Heene’s fuckery. I am glad they are being held accountable. It is the right thing to do in light of the WRONG that THEY did.
They did not pull some simple prank. They DELIBERATELY involved the law, and the law bitchslapped them like they DESERVED. Rescue resources are NOT put in place to be trifled with.
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“Richard Heene — the moron behind the Balloon Boy hoax…”
TMZ gets points for that sentence alone.
I read on another site that they each have to do 120 hours community service. I think they should do 360 hours, and part of it should involve emergency services and/or missing persons at the police department.
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THANK GOD. God bless this judge.
The Heenes are disgusting. This, hopefully, will discourage other fame-whoring parents out there.
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HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Now I hope their kids get the help the desparately deserve!!! Especially that poor kid puking over that whole lying incident… they are complete asswipes!
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Aside from the efforts of the rescue crews and their costs, and the planes that were temporarily grounded, there is a family that is without income for the next two years because their crops were destroyed by the rescue crews when the balloon landed in their field. But the worst is what these people have taught their children, what they put them up to. Even if the mom wasn’t involved, she too encouraged the child to lie to everyone involved and we all saw it live and on camera. Aside from that, what happens on the next real emergency? Will people be as quick to help.
They absolutely deserve everything they got and more. The children should be placed with responsible people while they are still young enough to learn right from wrong.
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I do feel bad aboutjailtime for these morons because I doubt that they have any money, and they were just being dumb. But if their actions destroyed another family’s crops then they should pay for it.
But why so harsh with the poor ones and not as harsh with the Salahi’s? Because the Salahi’s are rich and have a reality show, and white house security doesn’t want to be embarrassed? They are famewhores too. I guess they did not break any rules.
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omg sorry but i think they deserve some jail time
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Mrs. Heene didn’t just go along with it. They all appeared on television and she had a whole monologue of bad acting as she called in the emergency. It was fake as fake could be. And on tv the little boy vomited as he was made to participate in the lie. Disgusting. They deserve the jail time.
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Excellent decision. They needed to be made an example out of. Its fucking ridiculous the things people will stoop to in order to get their 15 minutes these days – including exploiting their own children! Disgusting excuse for parents.
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I’d forgotten about these idiots thanks to all that Tiger crap. Hopefully they’ll learn a few lessons from it and it will deter other famewhore fools from pulling the same kind of crap.
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Glad both Bad Clowns will see some jail time. Too bad it wasn’t longer sentencing. This is all a slap on the wrist.
No doubt the Big ozoB considers this all worth it.
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I am soooooooo glad these two losers are going to jail. There is nothing more nauseating than publicity-seeking parents.
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Is it terrible that whenever I see them I get the bad chills…..The Grudge anyone?
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