Brian Rini, who allegedly said he was missing boy Timmothy Pitzen, ordered detained by judge
CINCINNATI – A federal magistrate judge on Tuesday ordered the 23-year-old man accused of pretending to be a boy who has been missing since 2011 to be detained "until the matter is resolved."
Brian Michael Rini, who was charged last week with lying to federal agents, appeared in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati for a detention hearing.
Rini, a convicted felon from Medina, has been detained without bond since being charged. He is being held at the Butler County Jail, where records list him at 5-foot-9 and 145 pounds.
He was released from an Ohio prison last month after serving more than a year for burglary and vandalism. In that case, from Medina County, Rini told neighbors that he had bought a $400,000 home that was listed for sale. He and others broke in and then hosted a party at the home, causing more than $1,000 in damage.
On Wednesday, police found Rini wandering on a Newport street, appearing confused and in need of help, court documents say.
He told police he was Timmothy Pitzen, a boy from Aurora, Illinois, who went missing in 2011 when he was 6. Timmothy would be 14 now.
Rini claimed, the documents say, he'd escaped from two men after being held captive and forced to have sex.
Rini was taken to Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center after complaining of abdominal pains. He was there for more than a day, according to the documents.
After a DNA test, Rini admitted his true identity. Asked why he claimed to be the missing boy, Rini said "he wished he had a father like Timmothy's," according to court documents.
Officials said Rini told investigators he'd seen the case featured in the last several weeks on a rebroadcast of the television news program "20/20."
Rini has a criminal record dating to 2013 and twice before, officials say, has claimed to be a victim of sex trafficking.
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