(CNN) — Parents in last month’s notorious “balloon boy” case are expected to plead guilty on Friday, the pair’s lawyers said.
The Larimer County district attorney’s office Thursday said Richard Heene has been charged with one count of attempting to influence a public servant, a felony, and Mayumi Heene has been charged with one count of false reporting to authorities, a misdemeanor.
Richard Heene turned himself in Thursday afternoon and was released on a $5,000 personal recognizance bond, the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office said. Mayumi Heene did not appear with him.
The Heenes will appear Friday in Larimer County Court, where they are expected to plead guilty, their attorneys said.
The penalty range for the felony is two to six years in prison with a fine of $2,000 to $500,000. The range for the misdemeanor would be six months in jail with a fine of $50 to $750, the district attorney’s office statement said.
The Heenes’ attorneys said prosecutors have agreed to a sentence of probation with the possibility of up to 90 days in jail for Richard Heene and up to 60 days in jail for his wife.
The threat of deportation for Mayumi Heene was a factor in the plea deal negotiation, the attorney’s statement said. MORE
