Balloon Boy Is Now Officially A Hoax
Oct. 19 2009, Published 8:45 a.m. ET
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.
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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."