UPDATE: The Chief Communications Officer for the Chicago Police Department just stated that Jussie Smollett is now officially classified as a suspect in a criminal investigation by Chicago Police for filing a false police report, which is a class 4 felony.
Anthony Guglielmi also stated that detectives are currently presenting the evidence before a Cook County Grand Jury.
Earlier:
Entertainment news outlet TMZ claims that actor Jussie Smollett may be placed in front of a grand jury, tasked with deciding whether or not to charge with a felony for filing a false police report.
The news came from TMZ Founder Harvey Levin, who announced that Smollett, who is now believed to have staged the attack on his life that took the news by storm, might see a courtroom as early as today.
“We are told what he needs to do to avert a grand jury is literally a ‘Hail Mary’ where somehow he says something that will make the police believe it,” Levin said. “It’s just not going to happen.
Smollett may face a felony for his actions, according to Fox News.
Several reports that Smollett set up the alleged “hate crime” that took place against him, with his manager initially reporting the suspects to be white, male supporters of Donald J. Trump.
In the end, it is believed that two Nigerian brothers helped Smollett stage the incident.
Police in Chicago have attempted to reach out to Smollett for another interview on the matter, but it seems unlikely at this point that any meeting will transpire.
“We’re being told by law enforcement the second he refuses to go, it goes immediately to the grand jury,” Levin said.
According to the New York Daily News, Smollett’s previous legal history has begun helping authorities paint a more devious picture of the actor in terms of his ability to tell the truth- in 2007, he lied to police after being wrangled in a DUI case, identifying himself by his brother’s name.
In the aftermath of the incident, which included misdemeanor charges, Smollett received three years of probation, as well as a choice of jail time or fine.
On Tuesday, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx recused herself from the Chicago case.
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