Colorado Governor Jared Polis on Wednesday pardoned a couple who were convicted of staging a fraud that captivated the country more than a decade ago.
Richard and Mayumi Heene reported that their 6-year-old son – who became known as the “balloon boy” – had floated in a silver helium balloon with homemade UFO-shaped tape above Fort Collins in 2009.
The incident temporarily closed Denver International Airport and prompted local authorities and the National Guard to deploy military helicopters in a rescue search that cost at least $ 14,500.
Falcon Heene was later discovered unharmed, hidden in the attic of his family’s home in Fort Collins, about 60 miles north of Denver.
Authorities said the fake report was a publicity stunt to get a reality show for the Heene family.
Eleven years after the disaster, Polis, who forgave or commuted the sentences of 20 other people, said the family “paid the price in the public eye”.
“We are all ready to overcome the spectacle of a decade ago, which wasted the precious time and resources of law enforcement officials and the general public,” said Polis in a statement on Wednesday. “It’s time for all of us to move on.”
NBC News previously reported that the couple’s three children were aware of the fraud at the time, but were not charged with being minors.
Richard Heene pleaded guilty to trying to influence a public servant and was sentenced to 90 days in prison, while Mayumi Heene pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge for submitting a false report and was sentenced to 20 days in prison.
At the time of the incident, Richard said the family pleaded guilty to protecting his wife, who was a Japanese citizen at risk of deportation.
David Lane, the lawyer who helped the family ask for forgiveness, said that after more than a decade, “ballooning is finally over,” reported the Denver Post.
Lane did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.
Richard told the Denver Post that he was excited that the governor had deleted his record.
“It’s like a new release,” he said. “I’m flying high.”
