Richard Heene, the father of the so-called “balloon boy,” has been sentenced to 90 days in jail and four years probation. The sentence stems from a felony charge related to his involvement in an elaborate hoax in October. It led to a massive rescue effort after the Heenes reported their six-year-old son, Falcon, had floated off in a homemade weather balloon. The boy was actually hiding in the attic of their Fort Collins, Colorado home the whole time.
The Larimer County judge sentenced Richard Heene to spend 30 days of his jail sentence behind bars and the rest on work release. He also was ordered to do 100 hours of community service for each year of his probation. Heene had pled guilty to attempting to influence a public servant during the rescue effort. The amount of restitution he must pay stemming from the October hoax will be announced at a later court hearing.
