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Balloon boy’s parents get jail time

ORG XMIT: COEA101 Richard Heene is photographed by a television crew as he leaves his house with his family in Fort Collins, Colo., on Monday, Oct. 19, 2009. Heene is accused of perpetrating the balloon boy hoax to promote a reality show. His lawyer said Monday that he expects authorities to bring charges against his client in the coming days as investigators analyze e-mails that show Richard Heene and an associate discussing the stunt months ago. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski) (Ed Andrieski / The Spokesman-Review)
By D.F. Oliveria daveo@spokesman.com(509) 319-0354
ORG XMIT: COEA101 Richard Heene is photographed by a television crew as he leaves his house with his family in Fort Collins, Colo., on Monday, Oct. 19, 2009. Heene is accused of perpetrating the balloon boy hoax to promote a reality show. His lawyer said Monday that he expects authorities to bring charges against his client in the coming days as investigators analyze e-mails that show Richard Heene and an associate discussing the stunt months ago. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski) (Ed Andrieski / The Spokesman-Review)
ORG XMIT: COEA101 Richard Heene is photographed by a television crew as he leaves his house with his family in Fort Collins, Colo., on Monday, Oct. 19, 2009. Heene is accused of perpetrating the balloon boy hoax to promote a reality show. His lawyer said Monday that he expects authorities to bring charges against his client in the coming days as investigators analyze e-mails that show Richard Heene and an associate discussing the stunt months ago. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski) (Ed Andrieski / The Spokesman-Review)

Richard Heene is photographed by a television crew as he leaves his house with his family in Fort Collins, Colo., on Monday, Oct. 19, 2009. AP Photo.

The parents who carried out the balloon boy hoax were sentenced to jail Wednesday and given strict probation conditions that forbid them from earning any money from the spectacle for four years.

Richard Heene was sentenced to 90 days in jail, including 60 days of work release that will let him pursue his job as a construction contractor while serving his time. His wife, Mayumi, was sentenced to 20 days in jail. More.

Does the punishment fit the crime?

* This story was originally published as a post from the blog "Huckleberries Online." Read all stories from this blog