A 23-year-old man accused of posing as a missing boy from Illinois was ordered held without bond Tuesday at a hearing in federal court.
Authorities said Brian Michael Rini identified himself as Timmothy Pitzen, an Illinois boy who went missing in 2011 when he was 6 years old, after he was found last week in Kentucky. Investigators said he continued to identify himself as Timmothy until he was confronted with DNA evidence that proved his true identity.
Update 2:45 p.m. EDT April 9: U.S. Magistrate Karen Litkovitz determined Rini should be held without bond because he poses a flight risk, The Associated Press reported.
In court, Litkovitz cited Rini’s long criminal history, his mental health issues and his lack of a permanent address as reasoning for her decision. She scheduled a preliminary hearing for April 19.
Original report: A 23-year-old man who claimed he was a missing boy from Illinois will make an appearance in federal court Tuesday afternoon.
Brian Michael Rini will appear for a detention hearing at 1:30 p.m. today to determine if he'll remain in custody, WCPO-TV reported. Rini is already being held without bond and is facing a federal charge for making false statements.
Rini approached a vehicle in Newport, Kentucky, on Wednesday and claimed he was Timmothy Pitzen, a 14-year-old missing from Illinois since 2011, investigators said. He was transported to Cincinnati Children's Hospital for observation and continued to tell authorities, including the FBI, that he was Pitzen, according to investigators.
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Rini refused to allow authorities to fingerprint him, but he did provide a swab so DNA could be tested, law enforcement officials said.
While awaiting those results, the FBI and law enforcement in multiple states initiated a sex trafficking investigation. Rini had relayed detailed information to the FBI about how he had been abducted, suffered physical and sexual abuse and had just recently escaped from a location in Cincinnati.
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The Hamilton County Coroner’s Office tested the DNA and was able to quickly determine he was not Timmothy.
When FBI agents asked Rini again about his story, he repeated he was Timmothy and had escaped from a hotel. When confronted with the DNA results, officials said, he immediately said he was not Timmothy.
Further investigation showed Rini had twice before claimed to be the victim of child sex trafficking.
Rini faces eight years in prison if convicted.
Authorities have asked for people with genuine information about the whereabouts of Timmothy to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678 or Aurora, Illinois, police at 630-256-5000.
Anyone with details on Rini’s activities over the last few months is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-225-5324.
The Cox Media Group National Content Desk and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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