<"he said="" he="" was="" going="" to="" hold="" a="" press="" conference="" of="" his="" own="" and="" he="" didn't="" want="" us="" to="" give="" his="" name="" out,"="" said="" perry="" rausher,="" the="" california="" attorney="" for="" richard="" and="" mayumi="" heene,="" the="" former="" fort="" collins="" couple="" who="" sparked="" international="" concern="" in="" october="" 2009="" when="" they="" told="" authorities="" that="" the="" balloon="" had="" taken="" off="" from="" their="" yard="" with="" their="" 6-year-old="" son="" falcon="" aboard.="" falcon="" heene="" was="" found="" safe="" at="" home,="" and="" authorities="" later="" said="" the="" heenes="" had="" concocted="" a="" hoax="" to="" boost="" their="" chances="" for="" getting="" a="" tv="" reality="" show.="" richard="" and="" mayumi="" heene="" served="" brief="" jail="" terms="" for="" their="" roles="" in="" the="" hoax,="" and="" now="" live="" in="" florida="" with="" their="" three="" sons.="" they="" recovered="" the="" balloon="" from="" the="" larimer="" county="" sheriff's="" office="" after="" the="" criminal="" investigation="" was="" complete,="" and="" took="" it="" with="" them="" when="" they="" moved="" to="" florida.="" they="" put="" it="" up="" for="" auction="" online="" earlier="" this="" year,="" promising="" that="" all="" proceeds="" would="" go="" to="" japanese="" earthquake="" and="" tsunami="" relief.="" mayumi="" heene="" is="" a="" native="" of="" japan.="" in="" a="" video="" announcing="" the="" auction,="" richard="" heene="" had="" suggested="" a="" $1="" million="" purchase="" price="" for="" the="" balloon.="" but="" the="" auction="" was="" delayed="" because="" of="" hoax="" bids,="" rausher="" said.="" it="" finally="" concluded="" earlier="" this="" month,="" with="" the="" winning="" bidder="" paying="" $2,502,="" the="" lawyer="" said.="" the="" winning="" bidder="" didn't="" say="" what="" he="" planned="" to="" do="" with="" the="" balloon,="" rausher="" said.="">
Rausher said he deducted about $60 to pay the web fees for the auction and sent the remainder of the money to Direct Relief International, which provides medical relief efforts in disaster areas and developing countries. The money was earmarked for the Japanese relief efforts, Rausher said. Officials at Direct Relief International didn't respond to a request for comment Thursday. The Heenes didn't receive any money from the auction, Rausher said. One of the conditions of their probation is that they not profit from the Balloon Boy saga until 2013. "I'm keeping strict records on this for issues that may come up later on because Mr. Heene is not allowed to profit from matters relating to that, so I want to make sure the authorities are satisfied if they come a-calling," Rausher said. He said the Heenes have been unfairly portrayed in the media, including coverage of the balloon auction. "Everybody thought this was a scam by the balloon dad, and it was anything but that. We've proven that now. It wasn't a fortune, but it was something, and a couple of grand is going to help. They didn't do this for any other reason than to be altruistic and to try and help her family and her ancestry, and they did," he said./>
