US charges 23-yr-old with falsely claiming to be missing boy

US authorities on Friday charged a 23-year-old man released from prison last month with falsely claiming to be a boy who has been missing for eight years. Brian Rini was charged with a single count of lying to federal authorities for allegedly claiming Wednesday that he was Timmothy Pitzen -- missing since 2011 when he was six years old.

The claim briefly raised hopes that the child had finally been found. But authorities said a DNA test proved Rini’s identity and only then did he allegedly admit he was lying. “He said he watched a story about Timmothy on ABC’s 20/20,” a criminal complaint filed in federal court by the Department of Justice said, referring to a television news program.

“He stated that he wanted to get away from his own family. When questioned further, Rini stated that he wished he had a father like Timmothy’s because if he went missing, his father would just keep drinking,” the complaint said. Authorities said they were charging Rini because false reports harm families of missing children and needlessly divert police resources.