Jussie Smollett Indicted on 16 Counts in Attack Hoax Case.

https://variety.com/2019/biz/news/jussie-smollett-indictment-attack-1203158802/

“Empire” actor Jussie Smollett has been indicted on 16 counts of filing a false police report, stemming from his alleged staging of a Jan. 29 hate attack, Variety has confirmed.

Smollett had previously been charged with a single count of filing a false police report, which carries the possibility of up to three years in prison.

A Cook County grand jury returned a more thorough indictment on Friday. Eight of the charges involve false statements given to Officer Muhammed Baig, while the other eight pertain to a more detailed account given to Det. Kim Murray.

Smollett told the police that he was assaulted at 2 a.m. by two men who shouted homophobic and racial slurs and put a noose around his neck. In the more detailed account, he claimed that he fought back, and that one of the attackers was white, according to prosecutors.

“Jussie Smollett knew that at the time of this transmission there was no reasonable ground for believing that such an offense had been committed,” the indictment states.

The new counts likely will not have much effect on Smollett’s ultimate sentence, should he be convicted, said Andrew Weisberg, a former Cook County prosecutor now in private practice. The charges would run concurrently, so the sentencing range would still be one to three years in prison. However, most defendants in Smollett’s situation are sentenced to probation.

“I would still expect a period of probation, a psychological evaluation and restitution to cover costs of the investigation,” Weisberg told Variety. “I would still be surprised if he goes to prison.”

Police have alleged that Smollett paid the two men $3,500 to stage the attack. In a statement last month, officials said they had traced the two attackers using taxi and rideshare records, phone records, and surveillance cameras. They identified the men as Abel and Ola Osundairo, both of whom had worked on “Empire.” The two brothers were arrested at Chicago O’Hare Airport and ultimately agreed to cooperate and testify to the grand jury.

Smollett denies the allegations. He has been written off of the last two episodes of this season of “Empire.”

Well, that escalated. And lol at committing a crime and leaving incriminating evidence in the way of a check.

Take it away Barkley:

America must be a really great country if you have to make up hate crimes.

This moron deserves what's coming to him.

Nah, hate crimes and hate groups actually have been largely on the rise over the last few years. But that also means fake ones, which are a tiny percent, will also be on the rise.

I'm hoping this guy gets the maximum possible punishment, because he hurts the thousands of people who suffer real ones.

Yeah honestly I don't care just hope this doesn't get blown out of proportion.

America is too great, we gotta make that shit up, to make it the right amount of great.

That is, hands down, the funniest thing I have seen in recent memory. Thank you for sharing.

They need to throw the book at him and make an example of what not to do in life. Had he not been caught and thus proceeded the way Smolet intended, it could’ve encouraged a riot, looting, and a city burnt to the ground. This is not a joke. Billions could’ve been at stake, and the persecution of patriotic individuals who simply wear a patriotic statement on their hat...yea, hat.

What kind of name is Jussie?