Ohio man, 23, who 'claimed to be missing Illinois boy Timmothy Pitzen' is indicted by grand jury and hit with more charges
- Brian Michael Rini, 23, faces new charges - two counts of lying to federal agents and one count of aggravated identity theft
- His arraignment is scheduled for Friday afternoon
- On April 3 he was picked up by police after claiming to be missing Illinois boy Timmothy Pitzen, who disappeared at the age of 6 in 2011
- A DNA test proved that he was not, and was actually a convicted felon
- He was formerly charged on a single count of making a false statement
- The false statement charge carries a sentence of eight years and identity theft carries a sentence of two years
Brian Michael Rini, 23, - who is accused to pretending to be missing Illinois boy Timmothy Pitzen - has been indicted on new charges: two counts of lying to federal agents and one count of aggravated identity theft
The Ohio man who claimed to be missing Illinois boy Timmothy Pitzen who disappeared in 2011, has been hit with new charges.
A federal grand jury has indicted Brian Michael Rini, 23, on two counts of lying to federal agents and one count of aggravated identity theft.
The indictment was filed Thursday and carries a possible sentence of eight years in prison for making false statements and two years for identity theft.
The Medina, Ohio man was arrested on a single false statement count on April 6 after he claimed to be Pitzen, who was just six when he vanished in 2011, but a DNA test proved he was not.
Rini is currently being held without bond and has his arraignment scheduled for Friday.
Rini was picked up by police on the morning of April 3 in Newport, Kentucky, claiming that he was Timmothy Pitzen, who hadn't been seen for eight years.
Police said Rini (left) from Medina, Ohio, lied to investigators when he claimed to be missing Illinois boy Timmothy Pitzen (right). He faces 18 years in prison if convicted on all charges
Rini pictured on April 3 moments before he told police he was Pitzen and was kidnapped by two men
He claimed he had escaped two kidnappers who kept him captive and subjected him to years of sexual abuse.
He was treated and tested at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital and was found to be lying.
Federal authorities had said they were skeptical, especially after he refused to be fingerprinted, but didn't want to miss a chance to possibly solve the Pitzen disappearance.
On April 3 he was picked up by police after claiming to be missing Illinois boy Timmothy Pitzen, who disappeared at the age of 6 in 2011. But a DNA test proved he was not
Federal authorities say he has a lengthy criminal record and has twice before portrayed himself to be a juvenile sex trafficking victim
DNA testing revealed Rini's true identity and established he was a convicted felon who was released on probation in March from an Ohio prison. He had served more than a year on burglary and vandalism charges.
When confronted with DNA results proving he wasn't Timmothy, Rini acknowledged his identity, saying he had watched a story about the missing boy on ABC's 20/20 and wanted to get away from his own family, the FBI said.
Federal authorities said he has twice before portrayed himself to be a juvenile sex trafficking victim, as he allegedly did in this case.
A federal magistrate last week cited Rini's lack of a permanent address, past mental health issues and 'a lengthy criminal history' that goes back to age 13 as she ordered him held without bond.
In 2017, Rini was treated at an Ohio center for people with mental health or substance abuse problems, according to court papers.
Timmothy vanished after his mother, Amy Fry-Pitzen, pulled him out of kindergarten in Aurora, Illinois, nearly eight years ago, took him on a two-day road trip to the zoo and a water park, and then killed herself at a motel.
She left a note saying that her son was safe with people who would love and care for him and added: 'You will never find him.'
Timmothy Pitzen's family say they are heart-broken to find themselves back at square one in their search for Timmothy.
'It's devastating. It's like reliving that day all over again and Timmothy's father is devastated once again,' one of the boy's aunts, Kara Jacobs, said in a press conference, reported TODAY.
'I just hope this young man who claimed to be Tim realizes how much hurt he caused,' Linda, Timmothy's grandmother, said. 'And now everybody is hurting. And I just don't understand how somebody could be so sick to do this.'
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