The Balloon Boy stunt captivated a nation. Now it's saddled Richard Heene with tens of thousands of dollars in fines and landed him in jail for three months.
Heene and wife Mayumi, who together conspired and executed the now-infamous Balloon Boy hoax, both were sentenced to relatively light jail terms today.
Richard Heene got 90 days in jail, but that includes 60 days of work release that will let him pursue work as a construction contractor while doing his time.
Mayumi Heene, who was potentially facing deportation if convicted of a felony, will not be. She will, however, serve 20 days in jail after Richard's release.
Both were also sentenced to four years probation after securing a plea deal and have been barred from profiting from the balloon spectacle in any way.
A conniving Richard Heene pretends to be relieved that his six-year-old son Falcon was not actually floating away in a balloon. In reality he planned the whole hoax.
The Colorado couple feigned ignorance when their son, believed to be missing and drifting off in a homemade balloon, was actually in the attic the whole time.
It turns out they were actually trying to shop a reality show about a science-crazed family (themselves) and knew darn well he wasn't in danger. Unbelievable.
Heene choked back tears as he said he was sorry for the stunt, especially to the rescue workers who chased down false reports of Falcon Heene floating away.
Prosecutors are still seeking to recover all the costs of the search and investigation, which are already at $42,000 and quite possibly climbing much higher.
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2 Comments Twilight Saga Town Reality Show: On the Way
Note to fans of the Twilight Saga: Robert Pattinson doesn't actually live in Forks, Washington. Neither does Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner or any member of the cast.
Still, the geniuses behind reality TV have decided to set a new show in the town simply because events from the Twilight saga unfold there.
Said producer Zig Gauthier about casting for the untitled project:
“We’re not going up there looking to cast people who have claims to the supernatural. We want people who have a true connection to the community. We want to avoid people with outlandish claims.”
Okay. So then what's the goal of this seemingly inane idea?
"To peel back another layer of the onion that is Forks and see what the real people there are like," Gauthier said.
Therefore, to sum up: Plans are underway for a reality show about random people that live in a town only known nationally because a fictional book series is based there.
Will you watch this nonsense?
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