(AP) — A federal judge will hear in early January whether a plea deal has been reached in the case of a 24-year-old man charged with lying about being a long-missing child.
Back in April of 2019, Brian Michael Rini, who was 23 at the time, claimed to be missing Aurora boy Timmothy Pitzen. DNA results from the Louisville FBI showed Rini’s true identity.
U.S. District Judge Michael Barrett in Cincinnati has a Jan. 8 status conference scheduled for Rini.
Barrett has ruled that Rini is competent to stand trial, but a transcript made available recently shows that Rini’s public defender told the judge there had been discussions about resolving the case without a trial. Rini has been held without bond since last April.
A message was sent to his attorney seeking comment.
