Balloon Boy Parents Charged, Mother Faces Deportation
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Prosecutors this morning formally charged the parents of Fort Collins balloon boy Falcon Heene, who are set to plead guilty tomorrow in a pre-arranged deal.
Richard and Mayumi Heene will turn themselves in to the county’s chief judge on a personal recognizance bond at 8:30 a.m., said Linda Jensen, a spokeswoman for Larimer County District Attorney Larry Abrahamson.
Richard Heene has been charged with one count of attempting to influence a public servant, a class 4 felony. The penalty range for a class 4 felony is 2-6 years in the Department of Corrections and a fine of $2,000 to $500,000.
Mayumi Heene has been charged with one count of false reporting to authorities, a class 3 misdemeanor. The penalty range for a class 3 misdemeanor is up to six months in county jail and a fine of $50 to $750.
Richard Heene’s lawyer said the charges are the result of a plea bargain, and the two will plead guilty with stipulated sentences of probation. In a statement, attorney David Lane said authorities insisted that Richard Heene “fall on his sword” and take a felony plea. He said Richard Heene could be sentenced to up to 90 days in the county jail, and Mayumi, 60 days, along with their probation sentences.
The Heene family drew international attention Oct. 15 when Richard and Mayumi called 911 to report Falcon had floated away from their home in a UFO-shaped helium balloon.
Millions watched as the balloon’s flight was televised live, but Falcon wasn’t aboard when it landed near Denver International Airport.
A few hours later, the boy emerged at the family home, besieged by reporters. Falcon said he had been hiding in the garage all along.
Sheriff’s investigators said the family staged a hoax to boost their prospects in reality television.
In the statement, Lane said Mayumi Heene is a citizen of Japan, so a felony conviction could result in her deportation. Mayumi Heene confessed, according to sheriff’s investigators.
However, under the law, her statements could not be used against Richard Heene, Lane said, setting up the possibility she would have been convicted and deported, while Richard Heene may have been acquitted.
“It is supremely ironic that law enforcement has expressed such grave concern over the welfare of the children, but it was ultimately the threat of taking the children’s mother from the family and deporting her to Japan which fueled this deal,” the statement said.
Lane said once the pleas are entered, court workers will conduct a “pre-sentence” evaluation, and the sentences will be formally handed down in about a month. He said a separate hearing will be scheduled to discuss restitution for the three-county search. Jensen said Abrahamson’s office would not comment again before the hearing.
Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden is on a “well-deserved” vacation, said his spokeswoman, Eloise Campanella. She said the sheriff’s office would have no comment about the charges and pleas.
This morning, Richard and Mayumi Heene left their Fort Collins home in their maroon minivan shortly before 9 a.m. Richard Heene declined to speak with a Coloradoan reporter.
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