Balloon Boy Is Now Officially A Hoax

Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden has made it official.  Balloon Boy was a hoax and Falcon Heene's parents will be probably be charged with a variety of crimes and presented a bill for the expenses incurred by the county as officials searched for the six-year-old.

In an exclusive report, RadarOnline.com estimated that bill came to over $100,000.

Heene Family May Have To Pay For Hoax

RadarOnline.com was among the first to report Saturday night that officials had obtained a search warrant and anticipated filing charges.

Balloon Boy Parents House Searched

By Sunday morning, the Sheriff had upgraded the possible charges from a simple misdemeanor for making a false report to felony charges involving conspiracy and child endangerment.  It will be up to the District Attorney to determine exactly what charges will be filed.

The fiasco begun with a frantic 911 call from Falcon's mom Mayumi Heene, claiming that her son had been carried off in their flying saucer-shaped helium balloon.

Hear The 911 Call

Now Sheriff Alderden says the hoax was all a publicity stunt and had been planned for "two weeks."

The family, he said, "put on a very good show for us, and we bought it."