By Kalu Onyemaechi
Gay American actor Jussie Smollet, arraigned for filing a false report after faking a hate crime, has been found guilty.
According to Peoples Gazette, Smollet made his first appearance in court on November 29.
The Chicago jury found him guilty of “five charges of disorderly conduct” on December 9.
Prosecutors said the evidence against Smollet was “overwhelming.”
In January, the Empire star reported being attacked, tied and verbally assaulted with racial and homophobic slurs by two men.
The attackers, who were eventually found, confessed that Smollet paid them to stage the attack.
In his closing argument, special prosecutor Dan Webb said, “Besides being against the law, it is just plain wrong to outright denigrate something as serious as real hate crime and then make sure it involved words and symbols that have such historical significance in our country.”
According to several reports, Smollet staged his attack to boost his celebrity profile.
Smollett’s sentencing has not been scheduled, but he is likely to spend three years in prison or undergo community service.
