Cops Seek Possible Balloon Boy Hoax Cohort

Associate of Richard Heene Wanted for Questioning as Police Consider Felony Charges

(CBS/ AP)  An associate of the father accused of carrying out the now-infamous balloon boy ordeal to promote a reality TV show was wanted for questioning after e-mails surfaced showing the two had discussed a similar stunt months ago as part of a public relations campaign for the program.

Investigators said they want to interview Robert Thomas, a Denver man who claimed Richard Heene had told him he was planning a media stunt to promote a proposed reality show. Thomas, a self-described researcher, sold his story to Gawker.com and provided the Web site with e-mail exchanges between him and Heene. Thomas said the show would feature Heene as a mad scientist who carries out various scientific experiments.

"This will be the most significant UFO-related news event to take place since the Roswell Crash of 1947, and the result will be a dramatic increase in local and national awareness about The Heene Family, our Reality Series, as well as the UFO Phenomenon in general," according to a copy of the show's proposal provided to the site by Thomas.

Gawker.com editor-in-chief Gabriel Snyder confirmed the New York-based Web site paid Thomas, but declined to say how much for the story billed with the headline: "Exclusive: I Helped Richard Heene Plan a Balloon Hoax."

Snyder said Thomas was planning to meet with investigators Sunday night, though sheriff's officials did not return messages seeking confirmation.

Messages left for Thomas by The Associated Press were not returned.

Thomas, 25, said in his Gawker.com story that the plan he knew about did not involve Heene's children.

Meanwhile, child protective services have been called into the case to determine whether or not the 3 heene boys are living in a "safe" environment, reports CBS News correspondent Hattie Kauffman.

The alleged stunt temporarily shut down Denver International Airport, and the National Guard provided two helicopters in an attempt to rescue 6-year-old Falcon Heene, who was believed to be inside the flying-saucer shaped homemade balloon that hurtled more than 50 miles across two counties.

Follow the Balloon Boy Saga at CBSNews.com:

Lawyer: Balloon Boy Parents will Surrender
Sheriff: Balloon Boy Saga Full of Hot Air
Balloon Boy Dad: "Absolutely No Hoax"
Balloon Boy Gets Sick on National TV

The drama played out on live television to millions of viewers worldwide. When the balloon landed without the boy, officials thought he had fallen out and began the grim search for his body.

Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden announced Sunday that he's seeking charges, including felonies, against Richard Heene and his wife, Mayumi. Alderden said the stunt two weeks in the planning was a marketing ploy by the Heenes, who met in acting school in Hollywood and have appeared on ABC's reality show "Wife Swap."

"We certainly know that there's a conspiracy between the husband and wife, you've probably seen some of the e-mails and some of the things on the Internet suggesting that there may be other conspirators," Alderden said.

Alderden said documents show that a media outlet has agreed to pay money to the Heenes with regard to the balloon incident. Alderden didn't name the media outlet but said it was a show that blurs "the line between entertainment and news."

It wasn't clear whether the deal was signed before or after the alleged hoax, or whether the media outlet was a possible conspirator.

"Let's call it (my statement) short of speculation that a media outlet was in on the hoax, but let's not discount the possibility," he said.

In an e-mail Sunday to the AP, Snyder said editors at Gawker.com had not contacted the Heene family or offered them money for their story, referring to Alderden's reference to a deal being struck by a media outlet.

"No, that wasn't us," Snyder said.

The parents weren't under arrest, the sheriff said. He said he expected to recommend charges of conspiracy, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, making a false report to authorities and attempting to influence a public servant. Federal charges were also possible.

The most serious charges are felonies and carry a maximum sentence of six years in prison and a $500,000 fine. Alderden said they would be seeking restitution for the costs, though he didn't have an estimate.

The cost for just the two military helicopters was about $14,500.

As Alderden told reporters Sunday that the whole thing was a hoax, the Heenes were shopping for snacks at Wal-Mart, where Richard Heene told the AP he was "seeking counsel."

"This thing has become so convoluted," Heene said, tears welling in his eyes. He said his wife was holding together better than he was.

The couple's attorney, David Lane, issued a statement later Sunday saying the Heenes were willing to voluntarily turn themselves in to face charges. Lane said he advised the family against making public statements.

Once investigators got a good look at the "flying saucer" they determined that the thin mylar balloon covered with foil and held together with duct tape would not have been able to launch with the 37-pound-boy inside, according to Colorado State University physics professor Brian Jones.

Other parts of the story, including whether the 6-year-old had been hiding in the rafters of the family's garage during an intense five-hour search also weren't true, Alderden said.

"For all we know he may have been two blocks down the road playing on the swing in the city park," the sheriff said.

The sheriff said all three of the Heenes' sons knew of the hoax, but likely won't face charges because of their ages. The oldest son is 10. One of the boys told investigators he saw his brother get in the balloon's box before it launched.

Alderden said Heene, a 48-year-old storm chaser, inventor and self-described amateur scientist, has a high school education and most recently earned a living by laying tile.

Alderden said investigators had an "aha" moment that the story was a hoax when Falcon turned to his father during a CNN interview Thursday and said what sounded like "you had said we did this for a show" when asked why he didn't come out of his hiding place.

On Friday, Falcon got sick during two separate TV interviews when asked again why he hid.

Alderden said they didn't question the family Friday because they wanted to keep the family's cooperation by maintaining the appearance that they believed their story.

Records show that police have responded to the house at least twice in the past year, including a possible domestic violence incident in February. No charges were filed.

Alderden said officials tried Saturday to persuade Mayumi Heene, 45, to go to a safe house, but she declined.

Alderden said the children were still with the parents Sunday and that child protective services had been contacted to investigate their well-being. On "Wife Swap," Heene was portrayed as erratic, at one point throwing a glass of milk on a participant on the program.

"Clearly, from all indications, Mr. Heene has somewhat of a temper," Alderden said.

The producer of "Wife Swap" said it had a show in development with the Heenes but the deal is now off. TLC also said Heene had pitched a reality show to the network months ago, but it passed on the offer.

[greco99-2009]

Prior to the Iraq war some people sent false information to the news media.

These materials included crude forgeries about Iraq buying Yellowcake, false info about aluminum tubes for nuclear centerfuges, and unsubstantiated rumors of mobile biolabs presented as fact.

The people who committed these apparent hoaxes on the press have not ever been called to task.

Why no investigation into who forged the yellowcake memos?

I would like to see the same standard of journalistic interest applied to the Iraq war 'hoaxers'.

[bassettd65]

Balloon Boy...the biggest hoax in Colorado since the Obama convention.

[Newster1]

The couple's attorney, David Lane, issued a statement later Sunday saying the Heenes were willing to voluntarily turn themselves in to face charges."

LOL oh thats funny,like the cops cant simply go to their house and take them in, how generous of them to offer to turn themselves in, hee hee

[Newster1]

Alderden said investigators had an "aha" moment that the story was a hoax when Falcon turned to his father during a CNN interview Thursday and said what sounded like "you had said we did this for a show" when asked why he didn't come out of his hiding place. "


LOL that's a priceless gotcha moment, dad wont ever forget that one, not even 10 years from now when he gets out of PRISON

[nubnvenus1]

Has anyone really listened to what is being said? I watched the video of the kid filming, the tie down release and the dad going off the deep end because his balloon was getting away. I hear the child tell the parents that the brother was hiding in the balloon and I believe it all to be genuine. The problem is the news media. The story would be over if no one had mentioned the word hoax. I don't blame the 6 year old. He lives with that man and his dad was yelling and screaming about his damn balloon. I wouldn't have come out of hiding until he cooled off either.

The father call someone capable of getting the balloon down. Who would you call...911? Then who would they call? Then the press showed up asking questions...Taking into consideration the family had been on wife-swap what would you think a 6 year old would think was going on? So the kid thought he was on another show with all the cameras around, he's 6 years old for crying out loud.

I saw the same thing happen with this that happened during Katrina in 2005. The governor was crying for help to save the people until one CNN reporter said the word "Looting", then the cry when out for guns and troops to stop the looting and the people were just forgotten.

Initially the Sheriff wasn't going to press any charges but when the pressure was on about a hoax things immediately changed. I saw a video today of a man who had worked with the dad claiming that he had talked to him about a hoax before, but in his statement the hoax was associated with Roswell. That's probably why his balloon creation is saucer shaped. The balloon got away before he was able to execute his hoax.

He may not be the greatest parent in the world but that's no reason to take his kids or put him in jail or any of the other things people are suggesting. Why is it so easy for everyone to feel they have been victimized? Let's just be happy the child was not in the balloon and let it be...then there will be no fame for the parents. You're beating a dead horse. His attorney's will watch all the videos you know, and they will pay attention.

[writer10]

Ughhh...what a self serving, self absorbed, ego inflated freak...get out of Colorado (or move to Boulder freak)

[godi70]

Like everything in America is running today, we must deactivate this family, take the children and given them somewhere to the pedophiles and homosexuals and lesbians and push the parents in prison for 15 years. After that happen everybody in America will be happy. Justice was made. Something is going very wrong in America like the A1H1.

[lsc--2008]

How can anyone think that there is any "reality" in any of these shows. There is as much reality as there was reality in the infamous "$64,000 Question". NONE. Wake up folks. These are all pure hoax.

[SHEETPAN]

Google Anita Dunn. The news that CBS refuses to tell. Certainly more important than balloon boy.

[Jenn222]

It's the idiot "news" media that gives these dumbAs_ scammers a life. Do you people know how to gather and report news. News means new. This crap was old as soon as we smelled a hoax. But the media has to keep something going and the public bites. I'm not biting., I just want to state somewhere how damn annoying y9ou yo-yos are.... including NBC and ABC. These people are scammers and they're producing brats. As if we don't have a few 100 million TOO MANY ALREADY!

[cbsblogger]

I agree that he should face some significant accountability time so that he remembers that false reports are not something to do as recreation or money making.

[credibility2]

Get rid of the idiot husband and wife; lock them up for many years. Next, take custody of the kids and place them in foster care until they're eighteen or at least until they can act like human beings, instead of lying, cheating little animals.

[Hal9King]

When I first saw this in the news -- while the ballon was still in the air -- it was obvious that the boy could NOT have been in the balloon. It simply wasn't big enough.

The REAL story here is the public officials -- and news media -- who bought in on it.
They were STUPID and are now trying to cover that up. That is what the 'story' should be about -- their stupidity and CYA.

[diamonds07407]

This was such a 'stupid' prank. I don't believe he should loose custody, I don't believe he should do jail time,

I do believe that he should have to repay for the search and/or have 6 years probation and serve 30 hrs per week community service until the 6 years probation is up. This would include helping out at search/rescue missions, collecting food for food pantries, volunteering at hospitals, etc. With this, the children should be given some type of "probation' wherein they would help the parents, say help serve "set up" during soup kitchens on weekends and/or picking up litter in parks, etc.. In this way, the children will learn at a young age that they will need to take responsibility for their actions.

[erasmus111]

by diamonds07407 October 19, 2009 5:37 PM EDT
This was such a 'stupid' prank. I don't believe he should loose custody, I don't believe he should do jail time,


Nope, sorry, most of us want to see him doing jail time.


Actually what you said was good, but as far as paying back for the search goes, that won't work because he has no money.

[erasmus111]

by diamonds07407 October 19, 2009 5:37 PM EDT
I don't believe he should loose custody,


I've been thinking about that, and the only way those kids are going to get a normal life is if they are taken away from him.

If he wasn't such a whacked out LYING lunatic maybe it wouldn't be such a problem. Did you see that video of him on that "Wife Swap"? That guy has a real problem.

[nanc12]

When this first happened, someone at work brought up the coverage on their computer. The first story included the info that this family had been on Wife Swap. All of us standing there said, "And no one is questioning if this is a publicity stunt?" If we could figure that out 1 minute into the saga, why couldn't all the news experts? 24 hour news means run with anything, just to fill up air time.

[erasmus111]

by SkirtLifter October 19, 2009 4:43 PM EDT
by erasmus111 October 19, 2009 3:05 PM EDT
Maybe the hoax wouldn't have caused such a huge uproar if he hadn't included his children in it.
__________________
Wouldn't of been such a big hit without the kid in it! That was some Oscar winning casting...or maybe even a Nobel!



That's very true. But you are very baaaad for saying it.: )

[MorganBarber44]

White Trash will do anything for attention.

[sunspro]

I'd like to see a prison reality show starring Richard Heene. We could see him enter prison, deal with all the guys who think he's cute, etc.

[CompletelyFrustrated]

This is no longer news!

Hey CBS what about the fight at UCONN where one football player was stabbed to death and another injured - that is news!

AP excerpt "One teammate performed first aid while another comforted a University of Connecticut football player who was fatally stabbed during a fight outside a school-sanctioned dance over the weekend, their coach said Monday...

A second student was also stabbed and was treated and released from a local hospital. UConn police would not identify the student."

[geneonlbk]

Having had the delight of wearing a French racing balloon which is fairly large compared to the anemic balloon shown in the news pictures. I never for a moment thought that such a small balloon would lift even half the weight of a six year old boy. This is a useless tempest in a teacup. Cone on, get real. If even the media has no sense of the ridiculous they we are all in trouble. This is not Babar floating away holding the string of a toy balloon.