"Balloon Boy" Father Says Event Was Not a Hoax

The Colorado man who pleaded guilty to the "balloon boy" saga that had Americans glued to media sources nationwide in October says the event was not a hoax. Richard Heene, an aspiring reality show actor, backyard scientist, and storm chaser, said in an interview on CNN's "Larry King Live" that he truly believed that his 6-year-old son, Falcon Heene, was inside the homemade weather balloon as it floated across the state of Colorado. Heene says he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of falsely influencing authorities because he wanted to protect his Japanese wife, Mayumi Heene, who would have been deported if convicted of a more serious crime. Richard Heene, who was sentenced on Dec. 23 to 90 days in jail, will begin serving his sentence on Monday. Mayumi Heene pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor of knowingly filing a false report with emergency services and was sentenced to 20 days in jail.