ABC 7:

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.

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