And federal charges will likely be coming.
CHICAGO (WLS) — A Cook County grand jury has returned a 16-count indictment against “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett, according to court records.
The Cook county State’s Attorney’s Office confirmed the indictment, which they said was returned by a grand jury on Thursday.
Smollett was originally charged with one felony count of disorderly conduct for filing a false police report by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office on Feb. 20.
Now the grand jury has returned 16 felony counts of disorderly conduct for filing a false police report.
The TV actor claimed he was the victim of a vicious hate crime in the Streeterville neighborhood on Jan. 29. He said two men physically attacked him while yelling racist and homophobic slurs, threw a chemical liquid on him and looped a rope around his neck.
Here is the three-page, 16 count, Cook County grand jury indictment of #JussieSmollett pic.twitter.com/iGCEAdoUej
— Rafer Weigel (@RaferWeigel) March 8, 2019