( CNN ) -- A man who pleaded guilty to perpetrating a hoax by falsely reporting that his son was drifting over eastern Colorado in a balloon maintains the incident was not part of a plan for fame in an interview with CNN 's `` Larry King Live . '' Richard Heene pleaded guilty in November to a felony count of attempting to influence a public servant , and was sentenced last month to 90 days in custody , to begin January 11 . He also must serve four years on probation and complete 100 hours of community service each year . But Heene , in an interview airing Friday , told CNN 's Larry King he pleaded guilty to save his wife , Mayumi , from being deported to Japan . `` I had to do it to save my family and my wife , '' he said , according to interview excerpts released Wednesday . `` ... We had applied years ago for some paperwork . Things got fouled up . We had to reapply so she should have been an American citizen by now , but anyway . I ca n't -- I ca n't break up my family . '' Mayumi Heene pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of false reporting to authorities in the incident involving the couple 's 6-year-old son , Falcon . She was sentenced to 20 days in jail , but her term will begin after her husband 's sentence ends , so their children will have a parent able to care for them . Told about Heene 's statements , Larimer County , Colorado , Sheriff Jim Alderden told King , `` Quite honestly , I 'm shocked that he would make such statements . `` The evidence against Mr. Heene and Mayumi at this point is really overwhelming . There is no doubt in my mind that this thing was a hoax , and I really doubt that there 's very few people in America who do n't understand at this point that this was an elaborate hoax perpetrated by Richard and Mayumi . '' At the Heenes ' sentencing , prosecutors outlined what they said was planning for the balloon flight , which they said was aimed at generating publicity for the couple , who sought a reality television show . The incident occurred in October , when a large silver balloon came loose from its moorings in the Heenes ' yard and drifted over eastern Colorado . Mayumi Heene called 911 and said Falcon was inside the craft . Millions of people across the country watched the saga on television for nearly two hours as military aircraft tracked the balloon in the air and rescuers chased it below . But in the interview airing Friday , Heene grew emotional as he recounted searching the house `` high and low '' for his son . `` You know , after I saw him in and out of this craft , and Bradford [ Falcon 's brother ] told me that he went inside , at first I did n't believe Bradford , '' Heene told King . `` And I told him that perhaps he 's around . I just -- I just saw him . '' `` Sum and substance , you believed your son was in the craft ? '' King asked . `` I knew he was in the craft when I ... '' Heene began . `` Well , you did n't know it , of course , '' King said . `` No , no , no . In my mind , '' Heene said . `` In my mind . There was no other place , 'cause I visualized him . I yelled at him to -- to not go in . '' The night of the incident , during an interview with `` Larry King Live , '' the boy gave authorities what Alderden called an `` Aha ! moment . '' `` You guys said we did this for the show , '' Falcon said in the interview , when his father asked him why he had not come out from hiding when his parents were looking for him . At the time , the Heenes said their son was simply confused . Authorities said Mayumi Heene later admitted the whole thing was a hoax and that Falcon was safe in their home the whole time . Asked about his son 's remark in the interview , conducted last week , Heene said , `` Well , first off , let 's take into consideration he 's only been speaking English and just learned 3½ years prior to that . He 's 6 years old during this interview , number one . Number two , I had gotten back into the house after the initial -- talking to the press out in front of my house . I had opened the garage door to get my family back inside away from these guys . And I looked over , and there was 30 to 40 camera guys . I asked Falcon after that , I asked him -- I said , 'Why did you say that ? What are you talking about ? ' And he said a Japanese cameraman from some -- old man , Johnny Camera , asked him to show him how he got into the attic for his TV show . That 's why Falcon answered that . '' But , he said , his son was not implying the family staged the incident for a reality show . The full interview will air at 9 p.m . ET Friday .
Richard and Mayumi Heene said son was aloft in runaway homemade balloon . Boy said they did it `` for the show '' and parents pleaded guilty to hoax . Now Richard Heene says he only pleaded guilty to keep wife from deportation . Watch the full interview with Richard Heene on `` Larry King Live '' , Friday 9 p.m . ET .