Actor Jussie Smollett indicted on 16 counts after being accused of staging racist attack on himself

Jussie Smollett, an actor in US series "Empire" has been indicted on 16 felony counts by a grand jury in Chicago after being accused of staging a racist attack on himself.

Smollett, 36, who is considered one of America's leading black television actors, was accused by police late last month of  "exploiting the pain and anger of racism" in a "shameful" attempt to boost his own profile. He was charged with making a false statement to police, which carries a sentence of up to three years in jail.

The 36-year-old appeared to be facing even greater legal trouble on Friday when a grand jury returned 16 counts of disorderly conduct against him.

“Jussie Smollett knew that at the time … there was no reasonable ground for believing that such offenses had been committed,” the indictment states.

Prosecutors have accused the actor of staging the attack on himself in January as a "publicity stunt" to boost his $65,000-an-episode salary.

Smollett told officers he was attacked on January 29 by two white men who put a noose around his neck and yelled "This is MAGA country," a reference to Donald Trump's campaign slogan "Make America Great Again".

The actor, who is gay, also claimed his attackers hurled homophobic insults at him during the incident at 2am in downtown Chicago.

According to Chicago Police, Smollett paid $3,500 to a pair of Nigerian brothers - Abel Osundairo and Ola Osundairo - who had previously appeared as extras on Empire to carry out the fake attack.

Friday's indictment expands the case against the actor and focus on false statements he allegedly made to two different Chicago Police officers. Each count relates to separate acts he falsely described to the officers, including being beaten by two men, that they yelled racial and homophobic slurs and poured a chemical on him.

Smollett, who has denied the charges, is scheduled to appear in court on March 14.

Smollett's attorney, Mark Geragos, blasted the indictment in a statement as "redundant and vindictive," adding that his client "adamantly maintains his innocence even if law enforcement has robbed him of that presumption."

He also said that leveling charges in an indictment spares prosecutors the need to submit evidence and witnesses to defense cross-examination in a preliminary hearing, where a judge decides if sufficient cause exists for the case to proceed to trial.