Richard Heene was sentenced to 90 days in jail in December 2009 after falsely reporting that his 6-year-old son, Falcon Heene, had floated away in a homemade helium balloon in Colorado.
The case, known worldwide as the “Balloon Boy” incident, triggered a major search, disrupted airport operations and drew hours of live television coverage before authorities discovered that the boy was safe at home.
Heene pleaded guilty to a felony charge of attempting to influence a public official in November 2009, according to History. His wife, Mayumi Heene, also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of making a false report and was sentenced to 20 days in jail.
Richard Heene and his wife, Mayumi Heene are flanked by members of the media.Photo by Matt McClain/Getty Images
The sentences were handed down on Dec. 23, 2009, in Fort Collins, Colorado. Both parents were also ordered to complete community service and faced restrictions against making money from the incident for four years.
The case became one of the most widely discussed news stories of 2009 after a homemade, saucer-shaped balloon drifted across Colorado while emergency crews searched for the missing child. The investigation later found that Falcon had been hiding inside the family home.
The incident began around 11 a.m. on Oct. 15, 2009, when Richard Heene contacted the Federal Aviation Administration. He reported that a large helium balloon in his family’s backyard had come loose and that his young son might have climbed inside before it took off.
Heene, a handyman and amateur scientist, had built the silver, flying saucer-shaped craft as part of his experiments. After contacting the FAA, he called a local television station and asked for a helicopter to follow the balloon. Mayumi Heene later called 911.
Authorities quickly began tracking the balloon. Search-and-rescue teams and news crews followed it from the ground and the air as it drifted away from the family’s home in Fort Collins, Colorado.
The Colorado National Guard sent two helicopters to follow the craft. Denver International Airport also briefly shut down a runway as the balloon moved into its flight path.
At about 1:35 p.m., the balloon landed in a field roughly 50 miles from where it had started. Rescue workers found no child inside, raising fears that Falcon had fallen from the balloon while it was in the air.
Officials launched a large ground search to find the missing boy. Later that afternoon, authorities announced that Falcon was safe at home.
The child had been hiding in the house during the search. According to CBS News, his hiding place was identified as a space above the family garage, where he had reportedly spent hours.
The discovery raised questions about the family’s original account. The situation took another turn that evening when the Heenes appeared on CNN’s Larry King Live.
During the interview, Falcon was asked about the incident and why he had not come out while people were looking for him. He replied, per NPR, “You guys said we did this for the show.”
His answer quickly drew public attention and added to suspicions that the balloon incident had been staged.
In November 2009, Richard Heene pleaded guilty to a felony charge of attempting to influence a public official. Prosecutors said the false report had led authorities to begin a search-and-rescue mission that attracted widespread media attention.
Police later said the parents had staged the incident to attract attention and help secure a reality television show.
The family had previously appeared on the reality series Wife Swap. Prosecutors argued that the couple wanted publicity after efforts to secure a television show had failed.
At the Dec. 23 sentencing hearing, Larimer County District Judge Stephen Schapanski ordered Richard Heene to serve 90 days in jail. His sentence included 60 days of work release, allowing him to continue working as a construction contractor during the day while spending his nights in jail.
Heene was scheduled to begin serving his sentence on Jan. 11, 2010. The judge delayed the start so he could spend the holidays with his family.
During the hearing, Richard Heene apologized to the emergency workers and members of the community affected by the search.
“I do want to reiterate that I’m very, very sorry. And I want to apologize to all the rescue workers out there and the people that got involved in the community. That’s it,” he said.
The judge also barred the couple from earning money from books, television programs, movies or other deals connected to the incident for four years. Violating the terms could result in their probation being revoked.
Prosecutors said the search had used significant public resources. Two National Guard helicopters alone cost about $16,000 to operate during the response. Other expenses included law enforcement overtime, support from nearby agencies and damage to the field where the balloon landed.
Richard Heene was later ordered to pay $36,000 in restitution for the costs linked to the search.
In March 2010, he completed his time in jail and moved to home detention with an ankle monitor after serving part of his sentence under work release.
Richard Heene said he pleaded guilty to protect his wife, who was a Japanese citizen and feared possible deportation if she faced a more serious conviction. Mayumi Heene also maintained that the incident had not been staged as authorities claimed.
In December 2020, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis pardoned Richard and Mayumi Heene. The governor said the family had already served its sentences and that it was time to move beyond the incident.
The pardon removed the criminal convictions from their records, giving Richard Heene the chance to pursue opportunities that had been affected by his felony conviction.
The case returned to the spotlight in July 2025 with the release of Netflix’s documentary Trainwreck: Balloon Boy. The film revisited the 2009 events and featured the family discussing the accusations, their memories of the incident and the public reaction.
Richard Heene continued to deny that he had planned the incident to gain television attention. The documentary brought renewed interest to the case, more than 15 years after the balloon first drifted across Colorado.
Related: Chuck Feeney gave away more than $8 billion in secret and closed his foundation in 2020 once it had spent every dollar; he kept about $2 million for himself
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