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Hearing off for man charged with posing as missing child

WCPO_Brian_Rini.jpg
Posted at 10:29 AM, Jun 13, 2019
and last updated 2019-06-13 10:29:11-04

CINCINNATI (AP) — A pretrial hearing has been canceled for the 24-year-old man charged with impersonating a long-missing child.

A court notice was posted Thursday morning, a few hours ahead of what had been scheduled as the final pretrial hearing for Brian Michael Rini of Medina, Ohio.

U.S. District Judge Michael Barrett on May 20 granted a sealed motion filed by Rini's attorney. Barrett had earlier set a June 24 trial date, but that appears likely to be postponed.

Rini has pleaded not guilty to two counts of lying to federal agents and one of aggravated identity theft.

He's been held without bond since April, when federal authorities confirmed his identity.

Authorities say Rini claimed to be Timmothy Pitzen, an Aurora, Illinois, boy who disappeared in 2011 at age 6.