Posted on 10/20/2009 11:37:33 PM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld
The Federal Aviation Administration has opened its own investigation into the 50-mile flight of the helium balloon that briefly delayed flights at Denver International Airport after a couple reported that their 6-year-old son may have been on board, an official said Tuesday.
FAA spokesman Mike Fergus said the agency investigates civil allegations rather than criminal ones. He declined to provide details on the nature of the FAA probe or its possible outcome.
Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden has said investigators believe amateur storm chasers Richard and Mayumi Heene called 911 Thursday saying they thought their son, Falcon, was aboard the large helium balloon that floated away from their yard in Fort Collins in a bid to get publicity for a reality TV show.
The balloon landed 50 miles away near Denver International Airport. Some flights had to be changed to a different runway for 20 minutes.
Falcon was found safe at home.
Alderden said he is seeking 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 sometime next week before it forwards its findings to prosecutors to decide on charges.
Richard Heene previously has denied a hoax.
He emerged briefly from the family's home Tuesday morning but didn't answer reporters' questions.
Heene did show two delivery workers where to find five leased helium tanks that were being returned to Flexx Productions, a Fort Collins rental company. The workers said four of the tanks were empty and
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Yeah, I wonder how much the total cost of this fiasco is gonna be. I'll bet it isn't going to be pretty.
But what ever the price, it is worth every penny
But what ever the price, it is worth every penny
But what ever the price, it is worth every penny
But what ever the price, it is worth every penny
They need to fine and arrest these people.
No pun intended, but this is getting blown way out of proportion.
I don’t. This man broke state and federal laws. He wasted millions of the taxpayers dollars for a hoax.
I don’t think they have tallied it up yet. That’s what the sheriff said earlier. The Air Force One photo op flight over NYC with the jets scrambled was $335k. I don’t think the WH will pay that back and basically nobody can make them.
I don't think many people realize how despicable an act this was, the parents making the media and authorities believe that their son was in danger, when he was in fact safely holed up in the attic the whole time.
I doubt it was millions of taxpayers dollars, but it was certainly a large amount.
More than that, he deceived and horrified an entire nation. I'm more offended by the millions of people who were played for suckers than by the money spent - as bad as that also was. And yes, whatever the total comes to, assuming he's found gulity (and the sheriff talks like the evidence is compelling), he should be on the hook to repay it.
Yes. Assuming the charges are true (and again, the sheriff talks like the evidence is fairly compelling), he endangered people's lives for his own selfish personal gain.
There are state and federal restitution laws. The FAA can charge him for re-routing airplanes from DIA. There are the choppers from the Colorado Air National Guard which costs about 5 thousand dollars an hour.
They can charge him for the amount of man hours it took to search for the little boy in several juristictions.
I’m sure the bill is going to be big. I hear the 2 choppers alone cost $14,500.
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