Former “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett has been indicted on six counts by a Chicago prosecutor after he was accused of an alleged hate crime hoax.
A clerk in the Cook County’s office confirmed to ABC 7 News Tuesday that the 37-year-old actor had been indicted on six counts of disorderly conduct by special prosecutor Dan Webb after the actor was previously charged with 16 counts of felony disorderly conduct for allegedly lying to police about the attack in January 2019.
WATCH:
Jussie has been charged with making four separate false reports to Chicago police “related to his false claims that he was the victim of a hate crime, knowing he was not the victim of a crime.” (RELATED: Police Chief ‘Furious’ At Smollett Case Dismissal)
NEW: Jussie Smollett has been indicted according to the Cook County Clerk’s office. More details here: https://t.co/062TzGxiAt
— Rob Elgas (@RobElgasABC7) February 11, 2020
According to a release from Webb’s office, “the grand jury’s investigation revealed that Jussie Smollett planned and participated in a staged hate crime attack, and thereafter made numerous false statements to Chicago Police Department officers on multiple occasions, reporting a heinous hate crime that he, in fact, knew had not occurred. Therefore, Mr. Webb has determined that reasonable grounds exist to further prosecute Mr. Smollett.”
Webb was appointed by a Cook County judge to continue looking into the false allegations made by Smollett after the State Attorney’s Office suddenly dropped all charges in February 2019 against the actor in exchange for community service and forfeiture of his $10,000 bond payment. (RELATED: Jussie Smollett’s Episode of ‘Drop The Mic’ Has Been Pulled)
As previously reported, Smollett made headlines last year after he claimed to have been a victim of a hate crime when he was allegedly attacked near his Chicago home. He told police, at the time, that two men had allegedly yelled racist and homophobic slurs at him before throwing a rope around his neck and pouring a bleach-like substance on him.
However, by the end of the investigation, Chicago police came to the conclusion that the actor had allegedly paid two Nigerian brothers, Ambimbola and Olabinjio Osundairo, to stage an attack against him. Soon after, he was arrested and faced 16 felony counts of disorderly conduct for making a false police report.
Several weeks later, all charges against him were dropped by the State attorney’s office.
He is due back in court February 24, per Fox 32.
Story is developing….