Brian Rini, man accused of claiming he was missing boy, has 'significant mental health past'

Cincinnati Enquirer

The 23-year-old man accused of pretending to be a boy who has been missing since 2011 "has a significant mental health past" and previously was hospitalized for psychiatric reasons, his attorney said Tuesday.

Those statements were made during a brief detention hearing in federal court in Cincinnati. Magistrate Judge Karen Litkovitz ordered Brian Michael Rini detained pending further proceedings.

It was Rini's first court appearance since last week when he was charged with lying to federal agents.

Rini's federal public defender, Richard Monahan, did not provide more information about his mental health history.

Litkovitz said his criminal record dates back to when he was 13.

Rini – wearing a jail uniform with a light green shirt and orange-and-white-striped pants – appeared relaxed in the courtroom. He read through documents and at one point smiled as Monahan talked to him.

His unshaven face showed multiple days of hair growth. He did not speak during the hearing.

Rini has been separated from other inmates at the Butler County Jail, where records list him at 5-foot-9 and 145 pounds. The jail has been holding him for U.S. Marshals.

Litkovitz said he is a flight risk. Rini, who is from Medina, is currently on parole and has warrants for his arrest in other cases, Litkovitz said.

Rini 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 and others held a party at a $400,000 home that was listed for sale, causing more than $1,000 in damage.

Also at Tuesday's hearing, Rini was described as having no stable job and no stable home. No one from his family has offered to let him stay with them if he were to be released on bond, prosecutors said.

On April 3, 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 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 twice before claimed to be a victim of sex trafficking, officials said.