Jussie Smollett's past mistakes are coming to haunt him.
According to CNN, the Empire star, who is currently being accused of faking an attack against himself, previously gave false information to police during a DUI stop in 2007.
Jussie, who was 25 at the time, was charged with false impersonation after giving his then 18-year-old brother Jake's name to authorities during the police stop in Los Angeles. He additionally signed his younger brother's name on the promise to appear in court.
The actor later pleaded no contest to three misdemeanors in total from the incident, with the other charges being driving under the influence and operating a vehicle without a license. Jussie was sentenced to two years of probation, paid a fine, and later completed an alcohol education and treatment program in May 2008.
News of Jussie's past criminal history comes amid reports the 36-year-old actor orchestrated an attack on himself late last month. As previously reported, the Empire star claimed he was assaulted in Chicago on January 29 by two men wearing ski masks. He said he had just arrived in the city from New York and made a late-night run to a Subway when someone yelled: "Aren't you that f**got 'Empire' n**ga?" He claimed the two attackers then proceeded to jump him, put a rope around his neck and poured bleach on him.
However, after nearly a month-long investigation, the Chicago Police Department now believes Jussie paid brothers Ola and Abel Osundairo to attack him. On Saturday (February 16), two police officers told CNN that the brothers are cooperating with law enforcement after reportedly providing evidence Jussie set the whole thing up. "We can confirm that the information received from the individuals questioned by police earlier in the Empire case has, in fact, shifted the trajectory of the investigation," Chicago Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement provided toThe Hollywood Reporter. He also tweeted, "While we are not in a position to confirm, deny or comment on the validity of what's been unofficially released, there are some developments in this investigation and detectives have some follow-ups to complete which include speaking to the individual who reported the incident."
Jussie though isn't backing down from his initial claims. The Empire actor and his lawyers— Todd S. Pugh and Victor P. Henderson denied he had any role in his attack in recent statement, saying. "As a victim of a hate crime who has cooperated with the police investigation, Jussie Smollett is angered and devastated by recent reports that the perpetrators are individuals he is familiar with. He has now been further victimized by claims attributed to these alleged perpetrators that Jussie played a role in his own attack. Nothing is further from the truth and anyone claiming otherwise is lying."
However, as a result of the varying stories, Jussie's case is now heading to a Grand Jury, where, as TMZ reports, "the focus is presenting evidence that could lead to a felony indictment against Jussie for allegedly filing a false police report." Most recently, the FBI confirmed that they are working with the US Postal Service to look into whether Jussie was involved in writing/creating the threatening letter that was sent to him prior to his attack. The letter contained racist and homophobic threats as well as white powder that was later determined to be aspirin.
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