— Empire actor Jussie Smollett is now officially classified as a suspect in a criminal investigation for filing a false police report, according to Chicago police.

Detectives were presenting evidence before a Cook County Grand Jury Wednesday evening, police say. </s> TV actor Jussie Smollett has been indicted by a Cook County grand jury on 16 felony counts of disorderly conduct for filing a false police report that he was assaulted.

The panel returned the charges on Thursday.

The Empire actor was initially charged last month with one count of disorderly conduct for alleging falsely reporting that he had been physically attacked on Jan. 29 by two men who shouted racist and homophobic slurs and wrapped a rope around his neck before fleeing.

The expanded charges focus on the allegedly false statements he made to two Chicago police officers about the incident.

Chicago police say that Smollett staged the attack to advance his career. </s> Actor Jussie Smollett has been charged with filing a false police report and disorderly conduct after he claimed he suffered a homophobic and racist assault in Chicago last month.

“Felony criminal charges have been approved by [Cook County State Attorney’s Office] against Jussie Smollett for Disorderly Conduct / Filing a False Police Report,” Chicago Police spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi tweeted on Thursday.

“Detectives will make contact with his legal team to negotiate a reasonable surrender for his arrest.”

Earlier in the day, Guglielmi tweeted that Smollett was “now officially classified as a suspect in a criminal investigation by #ChicagoPolice for filing a false police report (Class 4 felony)” and detectives were presenting evidence before a grand jury.

The openly gay actor, who stars in TV drama Empire, told police two masked men attacked him in Chicago in the early hours of January 29, yelling homophobic and racist slurs and striking him.

Smollett claimed the men doused him in a chemical, thought to be bleach, and wrapped a rope around his neck.

Chicago Police initially said they were investigating the incident as a “possible hate crime” but last week two Nigerian men who were initially deemed suspects – and known to Smollett – were released without charge.

Police said at that time “new evidence” had “shifted” the investigation, and police sources told multiple local media outlets last weekend that police now believed Smollett staged the attack with the two men’s help.

Chicago police say the charge of filing a false police report carries a maximum sentence of up to three years in prison, Reuters reported.

Earlier, Smollett strenously denied the claims he staged the attack in an interview on US television and his lawyers said in a later statement the actor was “angered and devastated” and had been “further victimised” by the allegations.

“He has now been further victimised by claims attributed to these alleged perpetrators that Jussie played a role in his own attack,” the statement read.

“Nothing is further from the truth and anyone claiming otherwise is lying.”

Smollett has played gay character Jamal Lyon on the FOX music industry drama Empire for five seasons, and the actor came out as gay on Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show in 2015. </s> TV actor Jussie Smollett has been indicted by a Cook County grand jury on 16 felony counts of disorderly conduct for filing a false police report that he was assaulted.

The panel returned the charges on Thursday.

The Empire actor was initially charged last month with one count of disorderly conduct related to the accusation that he falsely reported that he had been physically attacked on Jan. 29 by two men who shouted racist and homophobic slurs and wrapped a rope around his neck before fleeing.

The expanded charges focus on the allegedly false statements he made to two Chicago police officers about the incident.

"The new set of charges each carry a possible sentence of probation to four years. Smollett already pleaded not guilty to the first disorderly conduct charge. He was taken into custody and posted $100,000 bond to be freed."

Chicago police say that Smollett staged the attack to advance his career. </s> Charges against “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett have been dropped, his lawyers confirmed to Variety.

The actor had been indicted on 16 counts of filing a false police report, stemming from his alleged staging of a Jan. 29 hate attack.

“Today, all criminal charges against Jussie Smollett were dropped and his record has been wiped clean of the filing of this tragic complaint against him,” his legal team said in a statement to Variety. “Jussie was attacked by two people he was unable to identify on January 29th. He was a victim who was vilified and made to appear as a perpetrator as a result of false and inappropriate remarks made to the public causing an inappropriate rush to judgement. Jussie and many others were hurt by these unfair and unwarranted actions. This entire situation is a reminder that there should never be an attempt to prove a case in the court of public opinion. That is wrong. It is a reminder that a victim, in this case Jussie, deserves dignity and respect. Dismissal of charges against the victim in this case was the only just result. Jussie is relieved to have this situation behind him and is very much looking forward to getting back to focusing on his family, friends and career.”

The Cook County Attorney’s Office called the agreement reached an “appropriate resolution to this case” in a statement and cited the actor’s past charitable work in the community as factors in the dismissal. Smollett also forfeited his $10,000 bond payment to the city, per prosecutors. Law enforcement officials had criticized the actor for allegedly filing a false police report that required time and resources from the Chicago Police Department.

The Smollett family released a statement saying that “this morning truth has prevailed.”

“Our son and brother is an innocent man whose name and character has been unjustly smeared,” the statement read. “Jussie is a son, a brother, a partner, a champion for human rights, and a genuine soul who would never be capable of what he was falsely accused of. He was the victim of an assault and then falsely blamed for his own attack. This morning truth has prevailed and he has been vindicated. All charges have been dismissed and his record expunged (cleared).”

Representatives for 20th Century Fox Television, the production company behind Fox’s “Empire,” said it has no comment.

Smollett is expected to make a public statement soon.

The actor and musician claimed that he was the victim of an assault in the early morning hours of Jan. 29 in Chicago, stating two men hurled racist and homophobic slurs at him, beat him, poured bleach on him, and placed a rope around his neck. Smollett also said that the two men used the phrase “MAGA country” during the assault, a reference to President Donald Trump and his “Make America Great Again” slogan.

Investigators conducted an investigation which led them to believe that Smollett paid two acquaintances — brothers Olabinjo Osundairo and Abimbola Osundairo — to help him stage the attack. Police previously arrested the brothers, but they were later released without being charged. </s> Empire star Jussie Smollett’s legal troubles over an alleged false assault just got worse. A grand jury in Chicago on Friday returned 16 federal felony counts of disorderly conduct against the actor, stemming from a “potential hate crime” that he now is said to have falsely reported in late January.

The charges come on top of the state charges Smollett was hit with last month that could see the actor face up to three years in jail. The new federal counts are based on false statements Smollett allegedly made to Chicago PD detectives investigating what seemed to be a racist- and homophobic-based attack on him on January 29.

“Jussie Smollett knew that at the time … there was no reasonable ground for believing that such offenses had been committed,” reads the indictment that came down today.

Each of the new charges carries a potential sentence of up to four years, but realistically, in cases likes this, a plea bargain likely rather than a long-term jail sentence. </s> CHICAGO — Police in Chicago have announced “Empire” star Jussie Smollett is now officially classified as a suspect in a criminal investigation

Police police said he was under investigation for for filing a false police report, which is a Class 4 felony. They said detectives are currently presenting evidence before a Cook County Grand Jury. </s> US prosecutors dropped all charges Tuesday against television actor Jussie Smollett, who was accused of fabricating a racist and homophobic hate crime, his attorneys said.

“Today, all criminal charges against Jussie Smollett were dropped and his record has been wiped clean,” Tina Glandian and Patricia Brown Holmes said in a joint statement.

The 36-year-old actor had denied 16 felony counts of allegedly masterminding a false attack on the streets of downtown Chicago to gain publicity and win a bigger paycheck.

“He was a victim who was vilified and made to appear as a perpetrator as a result of false and inappropriate remarks made to the public causing an inappropriate rush to judgement,” the attorneys said.

READ ALSO: Actor Jussie Smollet Charged With Filing False Report Of Assault

Smollett was accused of sending himself a threatening letter and hiring two acquaintances to stage a street attack, complete with homophobic and racial slurs, while invoking Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan.

The case invoked widespread sympathy for the actor and outrage over the attack.

But the actor was later written out of the last two episodes of the Fox Network television program “Empire,” amid uproar over the accusations against him.

The producers of the program said they had no comment about the latest developments. </s> The bizarre case of Jussie Smollett , the star of Empire who was arrested on charges of filing a false police report, just got even stranger. ABC News reports all charges against the actor have now been dropped. Smollett was previously looking at spending up to three years in prison.

Today, all criminal charges against Jussie Smollett were dropped and his record has been wiped clean of the filing of this tragic complaint against him. Jussie was attacked by two people he was unable to identify on January 29th. He was a victim who was vilified and made to appear as a perpetrator as a result of false and inappropriate remarks made to the public causing an inappropriate rush to judgement.

The Cook Count State Attorney’s Office said in a statement:

After reviewing all of the facts and circumstances of the case, including Mr. Smollett’s volunteer service in the community and agreement to forfeit his bond to the City of Chicago, we believe this outcome is a just disposition and appropriate resolution to this case.

This stunning twist does not resolve much of anything that occurred last January, when Smollett was allegedly attacked in Chicago by men in ski masks shouting slurs at him. Smollett went to the hospital, but no one was charged with the crime. Two brothers were arrested and later released in conjunction with the case; they reportedly told police they were paid to carry out the attack. Shortly thereafter, Smollett himself was charged with making false statements.

So what is the truth here? We still don’t know what really happened last January. ( TMZ claims the decision not to proceed with the case “is NOT sitting well with Chicago PD.”) The whole sordid drama probably won’t be reflected on Empire , but it would make a hell of a storyline on Law & Order: SVU.
All charges against American actor Jussie Smollett for allegedly filing a false police report are dropped.