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Richard Heene Serves Rest Of Sentence In Work-Release Program. FORT COLLINS, Colo. - Richard Heene, the man dubbed "Balloon Dad" after being convicted of masterminding a hoax that his young son was adrift in a runaway UFO-shaped balloon, was released from Larimer County jail Sunday after serving 28 days, authorities said. Heene began serving his 30-day sentence at the jail on Jan. 11 and was released two days early, Larimer County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Eloise Campanella told TheDenverChannel.com Monday. He will now serve 60 days of his sentence through a work-release program that will allow him to work during the...

OK! Everybody is about this time getting pretty ballooned out! There is a growing sentiment that Balloon dad and Balloon mom should be charged criminally, even calls for the children to be removed. IMHO, it's time to take a step back, think about things a bit. Make no mistake, I very much support mom and dad getting slapped upside the head a time or two. BUT!!!! What they did was stupid, I would argue it was not criminal. Think about it. There's way more criminality in a car jacking than this incident. And as much as I've seen, I have...

The Colorado parents accused of concocting a publicity stunt by pretending that their young son had climbed aboard a homemade helium balloon and was hurtling through the skies above Fort Collins, Colo., will voluntarily surrender to authorities as soon as charges are filed, which is expected to happen on Wednesday, the lawyer for the father said Monday morning. David Lane, a Colorado civil rights lawyer who is representing Richard Heene, said both Mr. Heene and his wife, Mayumi, would plead not guilty and would turn themselves in to avoid further public spectacle.

FORT COLLINS, Colorado — 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, 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 Sunday. The Heenes have reportedly been working on a reality TV deal in Los Angeles. Investigators are examining the possibility of other...

(CNN) -- Three days after the world watched a giant balloon fly through the air and a tearful family express fears that their 6-year-old boy could be inside, authorities announced what millions already suspected: The whole thing was staged. It was carried out by a couple who met "in acting school in Hollywood" and "put on a very good show for us," Sheriff Jim Alderden of Larimer County said Sunday. Authorities know there was "a conspiracy" between Richard and Mayumi Heene, he said. "It has been determined that this is a hoax," the sheriff said, adding police "believe we have...

Does stories like this realize what the late Andy Warhol said years ago, that everyday people will have their "15 minutes" of fame? Uh Oh … well can’t say I am surprised. The evidence we pointed out here seemed pretty overwhelming. But if it was a hoax, I can asssure you … this guy won’t go down without a fight. I promise.