CHICAGO _ A Cook County grand jury has indicted actor Jussie Smollett on 16 counts that allege he lied to Chicago police about being the victim of an attack.
The former "Empire" star had been initially charged last month by prosecutors on one felony count of filing a false report.
The incident sparked breathless international media coverage and intense social media speculation, accelerated by the political implications of an openly gay black man's alleged assault by attackers who put a noose around his neck.
Chicago police had worked around the clock on the case for three weeks _ first to investigate an alleged hate crime, then to dismantle Smollett's story, which authorities say he fabricated.
On Feb. 21, the day Smollett was charged, Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson blasted the actor, saying the hoax dragged "Chicago's reputation through the mud."
