Arraignment set for man charged after missing child hoax

Photo courtesy Belmont Correctional Institution

By DAN SEWELL Associated Press

CINCINNATI (AP) — A 23-year-old man accused of impersonating a long-missing child is scheduled for arraignment in federal court.

Brian Michael Rini (REE'-nee) of Medina (meh-DY'-nuh), Ohio, will go before Magistrate Karen Litkovitz in a Friday afternoon hearing in Cincinnati. He was indicted this week of two counts of lying to federal agents and one count of aggravated identity theft.

He had been arrested earlier on a single false statement count after DNA testing proved he wasn't Timmothy Pitzen, who disappeared in 2011 at age 6. A message seeking comment was left Thursday with his federal public defender.

The 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.

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