The Colorado couple responsible for the "balloon boy" hoax which captivated audiences around the world are facing a 42,000-dollar bill for the stunt, their lawyer said Tuesday. Attorney David Lane said Richard Heene and his wife Mayumi had been ordered to pay the amount in restitution for the air and land rescue effort triggered by their false report that son Falcon had floated away in a home-made balloon.
The October 15 incident became one of the most notorious hoaxes in US history, gripping millions of viewers as television networks broadcast live coverage of the "runaway balloon" feared to have a six-year-old on board. Authorities later said the incident was a hoax cooked up by the Heenes in a bid to land the family their own reality television show. Richard Heene, 48, and Mayumi Heene, 45, face a sentencing hearing in Colorado on Wednesday after entering guilty pleas to various charges.
Richard Heene has pleaded guilty to a felony charge of attempting to influence a public servant while Mayumi, a Japanese national, admitted a misdemeanor offence of false reporting to authorities. Although the charges are punishable by jail terms, the couple is expected to receive probation.
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