Jim Alderden, Balloon Boy Sheriff, Says Heene Family May Be Fined Up To $2,000,000

In an interview with Fox News's Bill O'Reilly set to air Monday evening, Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden discussed the charges being faced by the Heene family in connection with the hoax in which they led authorities and the press to believe their son was in a wayward balloon. Alderden said that, while he was uncertain exactly how much the Heene family could face in fines, he had "heard figures estimated up to $2 million...potentially for -- from the FAA." (Federal Aviation Administration)

Alderden also told O'Reilly that the Heene family would likely avoid jail time due to Colorado laws that make it easy for first-time offenders to escape incarceration.

When asked on the Today show whether Richard Heene still maintains is innocence, The Heenes' lawyer, David Lane, replied "well, absolutely, and at this point we're in a position of being a batter standing in a batter's box waiting for the pitcher to throw a pitch. You can't swing until the pitcher throws the ball."

Lane was referring to the fact that prosecutors has not yet presented the defense with evidence.

Watch Jim Alderden on the O'Reilly Factor:

Comments

[hope12791]

Glad the kid ok
but y be fined its not like the father wanted to be famouse its all Propaganda from the news and magazines so they could make more money for twisting wat dey said

[smoochie]

And to think I was worried sick over the boy! Bastards.

[Wiseronenow]

Ah, before taking issue with just the parents, that whole fam is d/y/s/f/u/­n/c/tional­. Just read on another site (AOL) that right before the Heene's went on the air with Wolf, Falcon, yes, one and the same, the SIX YEAR OLD, said to his Dad, and I quote: "Who the h@ll is Wolfe"? 'Tis true. 360 played it instead.

[smoochie]

True, aftwerwards I saw a clip of the Wife Swap episode, and the little sh*t is a foul-mouthed runt. Wonder where he got that?

[Oortcloud]

A fine is a waste of time as they will just file for bankruptcy and not pay a dime. Jail time would offer the only punishment.

[stella801]

My comment was not offensive....why scrub it?

[CoronaDischarge]

$2,000,000 A trifle heavy. Must have been costed out by the CBO.

Thankfully no one was injured. Imagine if one of those trackers had tried something with a sky diver that went badly ... in the name of saving a supposed 6 year old boy, I can imagine that there are some that might have risked a maneuver.

The whole thing was an exercise in narcissism by this Heene. Even for a pretend scientist it was poorly thought out. I have no sympathy for his irresponsibility and the risks he tricked others into taking.

[cobobs]

I am pretty sure they do not have 2 million, so be creative. No, not waterboarding. Not prison. Keep trying. Community service? OK now you are talking.

[SonyaInTx]

Good. And let them spend the rest of their lives reimbursing the county for the cost of this stunt.

They wanted fame. Now let them pay for it.

[NotImpressed]

His name is spelled Alderden (with a d not a b).

[William Young]

He needs to be fined the entire 2,000,000 no compromise! All of this for publicity and ruining BO speech last week, The countless agencies involved in the search and for making us stomach non stop coverage of this incident.

[eliteandproud]

The problem is, to raise the $2 million, we will probably have to suffer through more of this family on television than we already have. Or a book deal, a speaking tour, a circus freak show, ad nauseum (literally for Falcon).

Unless this balloon "invention" actually does have some great purpose, maybe for the military?