The jail stint will be followed by 60 days of work release. A judge also ordered Richard Heene to pay restitution for the search and rescue, which a local newspaper (Fort Collins Coloradoan) says has been pegged at $48,000.
Despite his guilty plea and emotional apology at his sentencing, Heene now says the incident was not a hoax. In media interviews, he’s saying he truly thought his son was aboard the balloon in October. The tracking of the balloon captured national attention
