<p>Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden said Richard Heene and his Japanese-born wife Mayumi had fabricated Thursday's drama when their six-year-old son Falcon was reported to have flown away on a home-made helium balloon.<br /><br />Falcon Heene was later discovered alive after hiding in an upstairs attic at the family home for several hours, a bizarre ending to a televised drama that drew immediate suspicions of a hoax.<br /><br />Alderden revealed at a press conference that the Heene parents had first met during a Hollywood acting class -- and successfully conned officers last Thursday into thinking that they were distraught as the tension mounted.<br /><br />"Needless to say they put on a very good show for us and we bought it," Alderden told reporters. "These people are actors... We were manipulated by the family and the media were manipulated by the family."<br /><br />"The plan was to create a situation where it appeared Falcon was in the craft and that his life was in jeopardy in order to gain a lot of publicity with the ultimate goal of gaining some notoriety and perhaps furthering their careers by gaining a contract for a reality TV show," Alderden explained.<br /><br />"On the bizarre meter, this rates a 10." Alderden also revealed for the first time that Heenes' three sons - aged 10, eight and six - were also in on the scam</p>
<p>Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden said Richard Heene and his Japanese-born wife Mayumi had fabricated Thursday's drama when their six-year-old son Falcon was reported to have flown away on a home-made helium balloon.<br /><br />Falcon Heene was later discovered alive after hiding in an upstairs attic at the family home for several hours, a bizarre ending to a televised drama that drew immediate suspicions of a hoax.<br /><br />Alderden revealed at a press conference that the Heene parents had first met during a Hollywood acting class -- and successfully conned officers last Thursday into thinking that they were distraught as the tension mounted.<br /><br />"Needless to say they put on a very good show for us and we bought it," Alderden told reporters. "These people are actors... We were manipulated by the family and the media were manipulated by the family."<br /><br />"The plan was to create a situation where it appeared Falcon was in the craft and that his life was in jeopardy in order to gain a lot of publicity with the ultimate goal of gaining some notoriety and perhaps furthering their careers by gaining a contract for a reality TV show," Alderden explained.<br /><br />"On the bizarre meter, this rates a 10." Alderden also revealed for the first time that Heenes' three sons - aged 10, eight and six - were also in on the scam</p>