Actor Jussie Smollett Empire surrenders to the Chicago Police, accused of having organized the January attack – CBS Chicago



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CHICAGO (CBS) – Actor "Empire" Jussie Smollett went to the Chicago police early Thursday morning, a few hours after he was charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly staging a racist and homophobic attack last month in Streeterville.

Smollett went to the Central District Police Station at 18th Street and in the streets of the state around 5 am, police said. He made no statement to the police.

Police transferred Smollett from his prison to the Leighton courthouse later Thursday morning. Smollett was scheduled to appear Thursday afternoon for a bond hearing under the head of felony for disorderly conduct.

Unruly driving is a class 4 crime. CBS 2's legal analyst, Irv Miller, says that Smollett could be subject to probation of up to one and a half years in prison.

Smollett's lawyers issued the following statement after he was charged on Wednesday night:

"Like any other citizen, Mr. Smollett benefits from the presumption of innocence, especially when there has been an investigation like this where information, both true and false, has been disclosed to the public. many times. In these circumstances, we intend to conduct a thorough investigation and put in place an aggressive defense. "

On January 29, the actor and singer, black and openly gay, had told police that he had been assaulted while he was walking home. He claimed that two masked men, one also wearing a red hat, had shouted at racists and homophobes insults as they were beating him, passing him a noose in the neck and pouring them a product. chemical.

Two brothers, Ola and Abel Osundairo, were arrested last week and released without charge.

Sources said the two brothers had told the police that they had helped organize the attack with Smollett. They claimed to have received $ 3,500 to orchestrate the attack. They left for Nigeria a few hours after the attack and were arrested a few days later upon their return to Chicago.

On Wednesday, they testified before a grand jury. Smollett was later charged with disorderly conduct.

RELATED: Complete coverage of Smollett's history

The two brothers reportedly told the police that Smollett was also behind the drafting of a racist letter sent to the show, according to two sources close to the survey.

Smollett orchestrated the attack a week later with the two men, said the source.

CBS 2 was the first to get a video showing the brothers buying a red cap and ski masks at a store the night before the assault. The video shows Ola and Abel Osundairo posing masks and a hat on the counter.

The brothers' lawyer, Gloria Schmidt, spoke to the media after their testimony before the grand jury for two and a half hours.

"I think the most important thing to know for the American people is that this story has many complications," Schmidt said.

Schmidt says that the brothers do not expect to be charged with any crime "because they are not guilty of anything."

"I think Jussie's conscience is not letting him sleep tonight," Schmidt said. "So he should unburden his conscience and just reveal to the American people what has really happened."

RELATED: Chronology of events in the Jussie Smollett case

Smollett hired a lawyer, a little higher, by recruiting lawyer Mark Geragos.

Brad Edwards of CBS 2 confirms that Geragos will be part of Smollett's defense team, still led by Chicago-based Chicago lawyers Todd Pugh and Victor Henderson.

The list of Geragos customers includes pop star Michael Jackson, actor Winona Ryder, as well as singers Chris Brown and Sean "Diddy" Combs.

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