Brothers In Smollett Case Reverse Course, Will Cooperate With Authorities

Actor Jussie Smollett, center, departs after an initial court appearance at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse, Monday, Feb. 24, 2020, in Chicago on a new set of charges alleging that he lied to police about being targeted in a racist and homophobic attack in downtown Chicago early last year. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Two brothers accused of helping stage a phony hate crime against Jussie Smollett last year will cooperate with authorities after all. Abel and Ola Osundairo backed away from their cooperation in the case this week after Chicago police were unable to find and return a gun that was confiscated from their home in February 2019. Their lawyer released a statement yesterday saying the gun had been located and the brothers would resume cooperating. A special Cook County grand jury indicted Smollett in February on six counts of disorderly conduct over allegations he orchestrated a racist and homophobic attack on himself in Chicago in January 2019. Cook County prosecutors dropped the original charges against him in March of last year, a move that sparked national controversy and prompted the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate the handling of the case.