Couple To Be Sentenced Wednesday For Balloon Boy Stunt

First Published: December 22, 2009 3:19 PM EST Credit: ABC

Caption The Heene family — Richard, Mayumi, Ryan, Falcon and Bradford — appear in a photo from ‘Wife Swap’

FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- A Colorado couple face the possibility of jail time for fabricating a story about their 6-year-old son floating off in a runaway balloon to gain publicity.

Richard and Mayumi Heene will go before a judge Wednesday for sentencing.

Pulling such a stunt wasn’t cheap. And the judge also will decide if the Heenes will have to pay back the money it cost to try to rescue a boy authorities thought was in trouble.

Sheriff’s officials in Larimer County are still adding up the cost, but a spokeswoman says so far the total is $43,000.

Law enforcement agencies spent more than $21,000. It cost about $16,000 for two National Guard helicopters to track the balloon and more than $8,000 damage was done to the field where the balloon landed.

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