Balloon boy’s parents get jail time, probation

The “balloon boy” hoax that grabbed worldwide attention October 15th when former Wife Swap couple Mayumi and Richard Heene lead the nation to believe their son had floated away in a homemade balloon has resulted in jail time for the pair.

The couple captured worldwide attention with the stunt, in which media across the globe tracked the balloon for hours. Falcon Heene was, in actuality, hiding at home the entire time. The hoax unraveled largely due to a statement made by the child on Larry King Live- in addition to visible agitation in the child on vomiting during earlier interviews, when asked about his whereabouts during the search Falcon famously replied, “you said we did this for a show.”

Richard, 48, and Mayumi, 45, went before a judge today to answer for their actions. Fearing Japanese-born Mayumi could face deportation, the couple accepted a plea bargain. Richard Heene, thought to be the driving force behind the family’s fame seeking, was sentenced to 90 days in jail- 60 of those on work release. Mayumi was given a more flexible 20 days of jail time, with the option of serving time on weekends. The sentences do not have to be served concurrently, ensuring the children will be cared for by parents.

The couple was also sentenced to 4 years probation, and no decision has been made yet in regards to financial penalties relating to the incident.