He is a Harry Porter look-alike who with his family, conspired to keep the world gasping in prayers for his safety, as a helium filled UFO-like balloon floated over the skies of Colorado; supposedly with him trapped inside? The cat was somehow let out of the bag when the innocent little boy blurted out on CNN Larry King Live, that they did it for show! In Falcon Heene's very own words, retorting to his dad, he said, "you had said we did this for a show?" His flabbergasted parents were shocked to hear their dark concocted story laid bare and every effort at putting the genie back into the bottle was rather too late; and now the authorities in Colorado are planning a felony charge indictment for the 'gone with the balloon' hoax of the year!
Icheoku says, what would people not do just for their 15 minutes fame and few thousands of dollars from a prospective reality television show? Richard and Mayumi Heene, the parents of the six year old-boy, Falcon Heene are known for their lust for fame and money having appeared in Wife Swap and were allegedly marketing a reality TV show with some studios in Los Angeles? They came up with an elaborate hoax to attract the most airtime free publicity by alarming that their boy had become airborne in a helium filled balloon contraption?
Icheoku says, the bad thing about such hoax as this is that someday, a more serious situation might arise with disillusioned populace and media saying it might just be another hoax thereby loosing some valuable time before help could be summoned. Now it is being said that the boy may not have even been hiding in the attics as claimed, during the intense five-hour search for him on Thursday, October 16, 2009? Falcon Heene may have been two blocks down the road playing on the swing in the city park when the whole safety and emergency team Colorado could muster were pursuing a passenger-less balloon, floating high in the skies of Colorado?
The scam temporarily shut down Denver International Airport and caused the National Guard to scramble two helicopters in an attempt to rescue a boy, believed to be trapped inside the flying-saucer like homemade balloon; that coasted more than 50 miles across two counties before finally deflating for a touchdown; but did not produce the object of the find and rescue effort? When the boy was not found, he was thought to have fallen out somewhere along the 50 miles ride and hence began the grim search for his body. The hoax played out on live television to millions of viewers worldwide.
The parents are facing charges including conspiracy, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, making a false report to authorities and attempting to influence a public servant. Federal charges were also possible since aviation was implicated leading to the scrambling of two National Guards helicopters to join the find and rescue effort. If convicted, the parents face up to six years in prison and a fine of $500,000.00? Icheoku asks, was it worth it, Mr Richard and Mayumi Heene?
What a way to raise children, teaching their three young boys how to be trained liars and lying to authorities at ages 10, 8 and six? According to reports, the three Heene's sons knew of the hoax and one of them had told authorities that he saw his brother get inside the balloon's undercarriage shortly before it launched into air. However their very young age precludes any charges from being brought against them, being minors. What a dysfunctional family who craved to live in the limelight so much that they would cause such a global pandemonium just for their selfish interest? All just for lights, camera and action! A crazed-out parents who would readily co-opt their very young children into a scheme of lying to the authorities, in their futile attempt at pulling off the biggest hoax of the century? Icheoku says, shame on you Mr. Richard and Mrs Mayumi Heene!
Affidavit: Mom told deputies balloon saga was hoax
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Slideshow:Balloon Boy Hoax By DAN ELLIOTT, Associated Press Writer Dan Elliott, Associated Press Writer – Fri Oct 23, 6:49 pm ET
DENVER – The mother of the 6-year-old boy once feared missing inside a runaway helium balloon admitted the whole saga was a hoax, according to court documents released Friday.
Mayumi Heene told sheriff's deputies that she and her husband Richard "knew all along that Falcon was hiding in the residence" in Fort Collins, according to an affidavit used to get a search warrant for the home.
She allegedly told investigators the incident was a hoax meant to make them more marketable to the media.
"Mayumi described that she and Richard Heene devised this hoax approximately two weeks earlier.... She and Richard had instructed their three children to lie to authorities as well as the media regarding this hoax," the affidavit said.
Richard Heene has denied a hoax. His lawyer, David Lane, said Friday he is waiting to see the evidence in the case.
"Allegations are cheap," Lane said.
Mayumi Heene's lawyer, Lee Christian, was traveling and didn't immediately respond to messages left with his office.
Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden has said he will recommend charges against the Heenes including conspiracy, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, making a false report to authorities, and attempting to influence a public servant. The most serious charges are felonies and carry a maximum sentence of six years in prison.
Alderden said authorities also would be seeking restitution for the costs of the balloon chase, though he didn't provide a figure.
His office has said it will likely be next week before it forwards its findings to prosecutors to decide on charges.
In frantic calls to a TV station, 911 and federal aviation officials, the Heenes reported that they feared Falcon was in the homemade, saucer-like balloon when it was accidentally launched from their back yard last week.
Millions watched as media and National Guard helicopters tracked the balloon across the Colorado plains. It landed in a dusty farm field, where ground crews looked inside but found no sign of the boy.
Later, the relieved-looking couple reported Falcon had been hiding in their garage the whole time. But suspicion heated up when Falcon made a comment on CNN that sounded like "You had said we did this for a show."
Sheriff's deputies questioned the parents separately on Oct. 17, two days after the flight. Mayumi Heene told authorities "she and Richard Heene had lied to authorities on October 15, 2009 (the day of the flight)," the affidavit said.
She told investigators "that the release of the flying saucer was intentional as a hoax.... The motive for the fabricated story was to make the Heene family more marketable for future media interest," the affidavit said.
The Heenes twice had appeared on ABC's reality show "Wife Swap," and acquaintances said Richard Heene had plans for other possible shows.
The producer of "Wife Swap" had a show in development with the Heenes but said the deal is now off. The TLC cable network also said Heene had pitched a reality show months ago, but it passed on the offer.
Sheriff's officials declined to comment Friday.
Among the items taken by authorities during the home search Saturday were video cameras, computers, hard drives, a picture of a flying saucer, receipts, papers, a phone/address book and a flight itinerary. The list didn't identify the passenger, destination or date of travel.