Logo

‘Empire’s’ Jussie Smollett hit with 16 count felony indictment by grand jury

Posted on March 8th, 2019
by
Staff Editor


According to the Cook County State Attorney’s Office, an Illinois grand jury has indicted actor Jussie Smollett on 16 felony counts of disorderly conduct for filing a false police report.

Robert Foley, a senior advisor in the state attorney’s office told ABC News that the grand jury returned two separate sets of charges. The first set is related to false report Smollet gave officers about the alleged attack, including being called him racial and homophobic slurs, being struck by his attackers with their hands, a noose being put around his neck along with a chemical substance being poured on him.

The second set of charges stem from the second interview Smollett had with police about the alleged attack later that day.

“As Superintendent [Eddie] Johnson stated, allegations against Mr. Smollett are shameful & if proven, they are an affront to the people of Chicago who embraced him as a neighbor & respected him as a role model. We stand behind the work of detectives…,” said Chicago Police Department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi in a statement released on Friday via Twitter.

Smollett already pleaded not guilty to the first disorderly conduct charge. He was ordered to surrender his passport and was taken into custody, and posted his $100,000 bond to be freed shortly after.

The two men, Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, who were identified as Smollets “attackers, were arrested on Feb. 13 but then released without charges after police said they were no longer considered suspects.

According to law enforcement, the brothers told investigators that Smollett paid them $3,500 to help orchestrate and stage the crime after he became upset that a threatening letter addressed to him and delivered on Jan. 22 to the Fox studio where “Empire” is filmed did not get enough attention.

Comments are closed.