Update to this story.
Via Fox News:
A man who claimed to be Timmothy Pitzen, the missing Illinois boy who was last seen in 2011, was charged Friday with lying to a federal official.
Officials announced the charges against Brian Rini, 23, of Medina, Ohio. The FBI said the suspect had twice before made similar claims in which he falsely portrayed himself as a juvenile sex trafficking victim.
The FBI declared Rini’s story a hoax Thursday based on DNA testing one day after he identified himself to authorities as Timmothy.
Officials said Pitzen was taken to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital after he made the claim he was Timmothy. He initially refused to give his fingerprints but did allow for a nurse to take a swab, which authorities were able to take DNA from.
When authorities determined that his DNA didn’t match DNA from the Pitzen family, officials questioned Rini. The man initially told agents that he was the missing boy and doubled down on his claim when he was confronted again. After being confronted about the DNA test, officials Rini confessed to not being Timmothy.
If convicted, Rini could face up to eight years in jail.
For the Pitzen family, this week had been a roller coaster.
“It’s like reliving that day all over again, and Timmothy’s father is devastated once again, as are we,” the missing boy’s aunt Kara Jacobs said.