2 years in prison for man who claimed to be Timmothy Pitzen, who vanished at 6, last seen in Dells

CINCINNATI — An Ohio man who claimed to be a child who disappeared at age 6 pleaded guilty Wednesday, Jan. 8 to aggravated identity theft and will serve two years in prison, minus time served.

Brian Rini, 24, of Medina, was sentenced to serve one year of probation end of his sentence, U.S. Judge Michael Barrett said. Rini was credited for time served dating to his arrest April 4, 2019.

Rini, with a neatly trimmed beard, answered Barrett with a soft, “Yes, sir,” when asked whether he understood the consequences of his plea.

Prosecutors dropped charges of lying to FBI agents. Barrett ordered a presentencing investigation into Rini's background, but both sides agreed that the federal identity theft statute requires a two-year sentence and that Rini would remain jailed without bond during the official sentencing.

Rini pleaded not guilty to identity theft and lying to FBI agents. He would have faced as many as eight years in prison if convicted of all charges.

Judge Barrett ruled Oct. 31 that Rini was competent to stand trial after an evaluation in a federal facility in Chicago. A court transcript of the that hearing showed that the defense and prosecution had discussed settling the case.

Police said Rini was wandering the streets of Newport, Kentucky, April 3, 2019. Police said he told them he was Timmothy Pitzen, an Aurora, Illinois, boy who disappeared in 2011 at age 6. Authorities said Rini claimed he had just escaped captors who sexually abused him.

Federal authorities said they were suspicious after he refused to be fingerprinted. DNA testing quickly revealed his true identity.

Timmothy Pitzen

Rini had been released from a state prison last March after serving more than a year on burglary and vandalism charges. Prison records show he was accused of making up stories during his time there.

Richard Monahan, a federal public defender, told Barrett that Rini still faces state probation violation charges, among other pending legal matters.

When confronted with the DNA results, Rini said he'd watched a story about Timmothy on ABC's "20/20" and wanted to get away from his own family, the FBI said. Authorities said he twice earlier portrayed himself in Ohio as a juvenile victim of sex trafficking.

A federal magistrate had cited Rini's lack of a permanent address, past mental health issues and "a lengthy criminal history" that goes back to age 13. In 2017, Rini was treated at an Ohio center for people with mental health or substance abuse problems, according to court records.

The hoax briefly raised hope among Timmothy's relatives.

Timmothy Pitzen is picked up from school

Timmothy vanished after his mother pulled him out of kindergarten, took him on a two-day road trip to the zoo and a water park in Wisconsin Dells, and then killed herself at a hotel. 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.”