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.