I’d say he got caught because his crimes were based on fictional media portrayals of criminals.
From the ransom note-looking threat with the cut out letters, to the assailants dressed in their villainous uniforms, to the unnatural tough guy dialog. It’s all just bad fiction.
Good actor, shitty writer. Where’s a good script doctor when you need them?
Now, I’m seeing reports he paid the brothers WITH A CHECK.
How badly did he get paid on that show? He couldn’t even swing the whole $4000 at once.
I am jaw dropped speechless. Who writes checks anymore?
This is sounding more and more like a publicity stunt. A very bad one.
There’s a timeline of the investigation at this CNN link.
The two brothers left for a trip home to Nigeria after the staged attack and returned Feb 13.
Police waited and arrested them after they returned. They soon released these men were witnesses.
Overall, the investigation seems pretty routine. There’s a lot of video evidence of the men’s movements after the staged attack.
Money isn’t mentioned in the CNN article. But I’d bet there’s a money trail from Smollett to these men. Someone paid for those airline tickets. 
Smollett may have used a cc.
update New reports say a check was given to the men. The airline tickets may still be a cc charge.
While nowhere near as popular as they once were, they still are reasonably common in my experience. I’m 43 and run a business that takes check or electronic payments (average payment is in the couple thousand dollar range). Almost all my clients are younger than I am. About half still pay in check. I actually have two personal checks sitting on my desk right now.
One of the possible motives I’ve read is that he was dissatisfied with his salary. Perhaps with good reason? (although I admit I’m unclear on how he thought the hoax letter & staged “attack” would lead to improvement on this front)
The most recent elements of the story are giving this almost like a second twist – how could somebody be THIS bad at faking a crime? It’s almost like he was begging to be caught, and that is itself baffling. “Don’t pay for crimes with a personal check” seems like a lesson people should just KNOW implicitly. This has gone from “C-List celebrity trying to drum up a scandal for pity and attention” and veered straight off into “America’s Dumbest Criminals” territory.
Actors make poor writers.
I know it’s weird to quote myself, but here is an examination of the topic of Smollett’s financial situation:
The whole thing has become theatre of the absurd.
Van Jones thinks Smollett is like Jackie Robinson, “beloved”, and “an icon”. :dubious:
Just when it seemed this story couldn’t get any stupider…
Damn. Only $20,000 for about 10 hours or so of work per week?
I knew homophobia and racism in 2019’s America was savage, but, …damn.
The smack down by Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson this morning was epic. No polite, politically correct statements. No equivocating, no hesitations. Eddie be pissed.
Yep, I’m surprised Smollett didn’t hire his stunt double to take the punches for him. 
He only paid these men $3500, with a check. What a cheap skate.
Didn’t early reports indicate Smollett didn’t want to report this to police? I seem to recall his manager persuaded him.
That would explain why no effort was made to hide the connection between these men. They didn’t plan for anything more than reporters looking at the incident.
Giving bank information to Nigerians is never a good idea.
Regards,
Shodan
$100,000 bond
Higher than I expected for filing a false police report. But, he shouldn’t have any trouble raising the cash.
Shodan’s on fire today. That quips very good. 
Always stick to the plan chums.