Colorado Sheriff: Runaway Balloon Saga Was a Hoax

Attorney David Lane, who appeared on Good Morning America, says Richard and Mayumi Heene are willing to voluntarily turn themselves in once charges are filed.

On Sunday, Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden says they have evidence the balloon incident was an orchestrated publicity stunt to promote a reality TV show and says they are recommending charges.

"Clearly, we were manipulated by the family and the media was manipulated by the family," Alderden said.

Alderden said deputies would be recommending a number of charges in the incident, including conspiracy, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, false reporting and attempt to influence a public official.

SLIDESHOW: See images from the strange Balloon Boy saga

Alderden says if the Larimer County District Attorney's office goes forward with the charges, deputies will seek restitution to cover the costs of the search. The dollar amount that would be sought was not immediately available.

The most serious charges carry a maximum sentence of six years in prison and a $500,000 fine. Alderden says all three children knew of the Thursday hoax, but likely won't face charges because of their ages. The oldest son is 10.

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The recommended charges stem from an incident on Thursday that captured worldwide attention when an experimental balloon, owned by the Heene family and reportedly carrying 6-year-old Falcon Heene, floated across the state. The balloon traveled about 50 miles while viewers from around the world watched only to discover the balloon was empty when it landed harmlessly in a freshly-plowed wheat field near Denver International Airport, next to an army of awaiting emergency vehicles.

"On the bizarre meter, this rates a 10," Alderden said.

According to Alderden, Richard Heene, the father of the family, came to the sheriff's office voluntarily on Saturday under the guise of picking up what remained of the aircraft.

Alderden says that's when they were able to separate the family and interview them each individually. The sheriff says due to Colorado Rule 3.6 and 3.8, he is not allowed to talk about scientific evidence, including whether anyone took a lie detector test or whether the office was able to obtain a confession. However, he says they have enough evidence that they are certain the event was a hoax and a publicity stunt.

Deputies say they have evidence of conspiracy between Richard and Mayumi Heene and are looking into whether any non-news media outlets were in on it as well.

Alderden says Richard and Mayumi met in California in an acting class and the couple "put on a very good show for us, and we bought it."

The recommended charges were an out-and-out change from the tune the sheriff was singing immediately following the incident on Thursday when he grinned and chuckled in relief, saying he had no reason to believe the incident was a hoax, adding that children often hide when they're afraid of getting in trouble.

Since Thursday, Alderden's department has been so inundated by media requests, he says his department has likely spent more money dealing with the media than it did on the emergency response.

However, Alderden and his investigators became suspicious after Falcon turned to his dad during a CNN interview with Wolf Blitzer when asked why he didn't come out from his hiding place.

"You said we did this for a show," Falcon said to his dad.

Falcon later got sick on two separate TV interviews on Friday when asked why he hid and vomited live on NBC's Today Show.

Alderden plans to meet with the FBI and the FAA this week to determine what effect the incident had on air travel at DIA and says federal charges could stem from that if public transportation was affected.

The Heene family returned home Sunday morning shortly before the news conference. They did not make any comments prior to the news conference.

It was not immediately clear when arrests would be made.

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