N.J. UFO Hoaxers Get Fines, Community Service
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Two New Jersey men who staged a UFO hoax will have more earthly pursuits, such as picking up trash from the side of the road.
A judge fined Chris Russo of Morris Plains and Joe Rudy of Chester Township $250 each and ordered them to perform 50 hours of community service for creating a disturbance.
Authorities say the pair triggered a flurry of 911 calls when they lit road flares tied to helium balloons and released them in Morris County in January and February.
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The men said they did it to debunk so-called UFO experts. They posted details of their exploits on a Web site on April Fools' Day.
The prosecutor charged them with disorderly conduct, saying the balloons could have interfered with air traffic and posed a potential fire hazard.