. `` The sheriff having a press conference saying that they 're guilty does not make them so , '' Lane told CNN 's `` American Morning . '' Authorities say the event -- in which the tearful couple said their 6-year-old might have been trapped in the drifting balloon -- was staged . Richard and Mayumi Heene had met in a Hollywood acting school and pursued fame for their family in the world of reality TV , Alderden said . Lane , asked Monday by CNN about his client 's state of mind , said it was `` what you would expect someone 's state of mind to be after law enforcement searched your house , seized your property , held a press conference announcing you 're about to be charged with felony criminal charges . Your state of mind would be rather upset and you would feel somewhat under siege , which is exactly how the family feels at this point . '' During the incident Thursday , as millions worldwide watched live TV coverage of the contraption floating above northern Colorado , authorities did not pick up on any deceptive behavior , Alderden said . But that
Fort Collins , Colorado -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The lawyer of a Colorado father accused of carrying out a bizarre hoax involving his son and a huge balloon said Monday that official charges in the case could be filed next week . Authorities announced that Richard Heene and his wife , Mayumi Heene , face several felony charges , but David Lane said the sheriff was overreaching with the charges . `` It 's piling on and it 's using charges that really are n't designed to fit this sort of allegation , '' Lane said on `` Larry King Live . '' `` The attempt to influence a public official fraudulently , that 's bribing a public official . That 's not what happened here . '' The Heenes face charges of conspiracy , contributing to the delinquency of a minor and attempting to influence a public servant , Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden said Sunday . The family also probably will be charged with filing a false police report , which is a misdemeanor , Alderden said . Lane has said that the couple is `` not running from the law '' and deserves the presumption of innocence