Posted on 11/12/2009 4:45:52 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
The parents of the "Balloon Boy" are about to land - perhaps behind bars.
Richard Heene and his wife, Mayumi, reached a deal with authorities to enter guilty pleas over their October hoax that transfixed the country, their lawyer said Thursday.
Heene, 48, will plead guilty to a felony - attempting to influence a public servant - while his 45-year-old wife will plead to a misdemeanor charge, attorney David Lane said.
Although Lane initially said the deal would spare the couple from jail time, the lawyer later said he expected prosecutors to request some time behind bars - 90 days for Heene and 60 days for his wife.
The charge against Richard Heene carries a possible sentence of two to six years in state prison and a $500,000 fine, prosecutors said.
His wife could face up to six months in county jail and a fine up to $750. Mayumi Heene, a Japanese citizen, faced possible deportation if convicted of a felony.
The Heenes left their Fort Collins, Colo., home Thursday without speaking to reporters.
The Larimer County District Attorney's office confirmed the charges against the parents, who were due to surrender and appear in court Friday.
The parents called authorities on Oct. 15 to report their 6-year-old son Falcon was floating above Colorado inside a saucer-shaped homemade balloon.
As the nation watched, the balloon landed in the middle of a field - but without the little boy inside. Authorities later found the boy hiding at home.
Falcon later claimed he was afraid of incurring his father's wrath for messing around with the balloon.
But the family's tale soon fell apart, and Mayumi Heene admitted to the hoax - which was supposed to create a buzz for a reality show with the Heene family.
(Excerpt) Read more at nydailynews.com ...
Some folks should not be allowed to breed.
The father needs some jail time to contemplate the terrible danger he put his children in for his own selfish reasons.
The lawyer says the only reason the guy is pleading to a felony is because he has to protect his wife. She's a Japanese citizen (here legally) but a conviction on a felony could have sent her back. So, they couldn't take the risk of not winning at trial.
IMHO the attempting to influence a public official charge is bogus. I believe that is intended to cover things like bribery or extortion of a public official, but it's a vaguely worded statue and who knows what a jury would do with it.
The parents are looking forward to jail so they can be interviewed by all the major media outlets upon release.
If the wife goes to jail, she faces deportation to Japan.
Could be. I'm not a pilot, so I don't know, but I read somewhere it didn't actually get into DIA's airspace. They were real worried it might, but I don't think it got there.
I've changed my first place vote(temporarily)...from the credit(something or another).com kid who sings those stupid songs on those obnoxious commercials...
to daddy of balloon boy.
I don’t know the law here, but I think the fitting punishment would be monetary in nature. These clowns should be made to pay for all of the emergency and other public services their hoax incurred and/or disrupted (goodness knows what local air traffic control had to do to clear space for the balloon).
A stupid a$$hat fine would be nice, too.
The balloon cross into DIA airspace and caused a major disruption in air traffic.
I think that they need to serious jail time not a slap on the wrist.
These folks are crazier than an outhouse rat.
Not to mention the farmer's crop that was ruined with all the emergency vehicles rushing to the downed craft.
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