Well, there it is. Jussie Smollett has been indicted for a felony count of filing a false police report. Police still believe he worked with Ola and Abel Osundairo to stage the fake “assault” in Chicago. They have evidence of the staging too, and it was evidence the Cook County Grand Jury saw:

Jussie Smollett has just been indicted for a felony … filing a false police report, and the stakes are 3 years in prison. A Cook County Grand Jury handed down the indictment late Wednesday, after grand jurors heard testimonies and evaluated evidence. We’re told Ola and Abel Osundairo — the 2 brothers — told Grand Jurors they staged the so-called “attack” at Jussie’s behest and even got paid for it. The brothers were caught on camera buying a bunch of supplies before the incident … including ski masks, gloves, bandanas, sunglasses and red hats.

Although police officially called Jussie a “victim” until recently, multiple law enforcement sources have told us the police had real doubts about Jussie’s story early on. They found it weird he kept the rope around his neck for 42 minutes after the “attack,” and were suspicious when he took them to the scene and immediately pointed to a camera which he said captured the incident. Turns out, the camera was pointed in the wrong direction.

Abel and Ola told police they drove with Jussie in the days prior to the incident scouting a location and even rehearsed the “attack.” Law enforcement believes Jussie timed the “attack” for January 29 because he knew the Osundairo brothers were leaving for Nigeria that day.

As for the hate mail sent to Jussie at Fox Studios in Chicago … our sources say the F.B.I. questioned Ola and Abel and are checking to see if the postal stamp on the letter matches stamps police seized at the brothers’ home … or if the ripped out magazine pages found at their pad match the cut-out letters used in the racist and homophobic letter. We know the brothers told police they had nothing to do with the letter, and only saw it in a photo on Jussie’s phone.

Jussie’s attorneys, Todd Pugh and Victor Henderson, released the following statement … “Like any other citizen, Mr. Smollett enjoys the presumption of innocence, particularly when there has been an investigation like this one where information, both true and false, has been repeatedly leaked. Given these circumstances, we intend to conduct a thorough investigation and to mount and aggressive defense.”

[From TMZ]

I mean… I see the evidence assembled by the Chicago PD and I would have voted to indict too, had I been on the grand jury. There’s absolutely enough evidence to indict and likely secure a conviction. That being said… even though I believe Jussie is a disturbed famewhore who likely staged this sh-t, I also believe that the Chicago PD mishandled this case thoroughly. You can believe both. And both sides will come up at trial.

This case has become a cause célèbre among right-wing media, almost like they’re trying to argue that because one disturbed individual lied about his attack, then that means no racist, violent Deplorables ever attack anyone anywhere. There’s also a vein of thought among conservatives of “How dare you believe victims?” Yeah, one f–ked up liar isn’t enough to make me stop believing victims. If he staged this entire thing, Jussie Smollett is a terrible person, but the people who believed him and felt sorry for him are not terrible people, they’re compassionate people who were victimized by his lies too.

Update: Jussie turned himself into police custody this morning in Chicago. A bond hearing is scheduled for 1:30 pm in Cook County Criminal Court. Also: Empire producers are reportedly considering suspending Jussie.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.