Balloon Boy Bill Comes Due: $42,000 for Hoax

Richard and Mayumi Heene, the parents behind the balloon boy hoax, reportedly have been billed $42,000 from local, state and federal agencies for the Oct. 15 incident.

The Heenes' lawyer, David Lane, told The Denver Post that the Larimer County district attorney's office e-mailed him the bill Monday. "Let's see the bills," Lane told the Post. "They're not paying anything until they see some receipts."

Richard and Mayumi Heene plead guilty

The Heenes are scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday in Larimer County, when a judge could determine how much money they owe to the agencies that responded to the staged 911 call. "If they've got records to show these are legitimate costs, then we can discuss it," Lane said. "But, first off, these people don't have that kind of money."

Richard Heene pleaded guilty in November to a felony charge of attempting to influence a public servant related to the stunt. The father of three could be sentenced to two to six years behind bars and a fine ranging from $2,000 to $500,000. Mayumi Heene pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of false reporting to authorities, which could result in up to six months in prison and a fine beween $50 and $750.

Balloon, boy rivet nation

In a statement, the Heenes' attorney said that prosecutors have agreed to a sentence of probation with the possibility of up to 90 days in jail for Heene and probation with the possibility of up to 60 days in jail for his wife.

The Heene family grabbed headlines across the country when they claimed their 6-year-old son Falcon had taken off in a homemade balloon from their Fort Collins, Colo., home. Falcon was later found hiding in a box in the attic, while much of the nation worried about his safety.

Calls to the Larimer County district attorney's office were not immediately returned.