A grand jury indicted disgraced actor Jussie Smollett on 16 felony charges Thursday in Cook County Court.
Smollett was originally charged with filing a false police report after the Jan. 29 incident when he claimed two masked men attacked him while yelling racist and homophobic slurs.
The grand jury returned two different sets of charges, according to a report published by ABC7.
The first charges are related to what Smollett told officers about the attack that he allegedly fabricated. The second round of charges are related to the second interview Smollett had with police. Smollett could be facing probation or up to four years in prison for each individual charge.
Experts conclude that Smollett will most likely take a plea deal and spend no time in prison wrote ABC7. (RELATED: Queen Latifah Backs Jussie Smollett After Alleged Hate Crime Hoax)
As previously reported, Smollett pleaded “not guilty” to the first charge of disorderly conduct and was released on $100,000 bond.
Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said that Smollett originally faked a death threat letter and when that didn’t gain enough attention he paid the Osundairo brother’s $3,500 to stage the alleged hate crime.
The Osundairo brothers have since publicly expressed regret for their involvement with the alleged attack.
“My clients have tremendous regret over their involvement in this situation, and they understand how it has impacted people across the nation, particularly minority communities and especially those who have been victims of hate crimes themselves,” the brothers’ attorney told CNN.