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"Balloon Boy" Dad Sentenced To 90 Days In Jail
By
Jen Chung
Published Dec 23, 2009
Modified Dec 23, 2009
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By
Jen Chung
Published Dec 23, 2009
Modified Dec 23, 2009
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Richard Heene, the Colorado father whose quest for reality TV fame involved falsely claiming his son was adrift in a homemade balloon, was sentenced to 90 days in jail and four years probation. Thirty days of the 90 day sentence will be fulltime in jail, while the remaining 60 will be on work-release. A judge said Heene must start serving on January 11, "I will delay this until after the holiday in fairness mostly to his children." Heene apologized, "I'm very, very sorry. I apologize to all the rescue workers out there, the people who got involved," and wife Mayumi Heene will be sentenced later. They owe $42,000 related to authorities' expenses involved in tracking down the balloon.
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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