The actor known for his roles on the TV comedies “Bob’s Burgers” and “Arrested Development” was sentenced Monday to a year in prison for his role in the mob attack on the U.S. Capitol nearly four years ago. .
Jay Johnston, 56, of Los Angeles, joined other rioters during the January 6, 2021, riot and violently attacked police officers guarding the entrance to the Capitol tunnel. Prosecutors said Johnston used his cellphone to record the violence around him, while also cracking jokes and interacting with other rioters.
Mr Johnston expressed regret that the incident had “made it even more difficult for the police to carry out their duties” on January 6, and said he had never expected the violence to erupt that day.
The judge who sentenced Johnston to one year and one day in prison allowed him to remain free after the hearing and report to prison at an unspecified date. Nichols said she recognizes she will miss the opportunity to care for her 13-year-old autistic daughter while Johnston is in prison.
“However, his actions on January 6 were deeply problematic and truly reprehensible,” the judge said.
Johnston pleaded guilty in July to interfering with a police officer during a civil disturbance, a felony punishable by up to five years in prison.
Prosecutors recommended 18 months in prison for Johnston. Their sentencing memo includes a photo of a smiling Johnston dressed as Jacob Chansley, the spear-toting Capitol rioter known as the “QAnon Shaman,” at a Halloween party nearly two years after the siege. It is.
“He considers his participation in one of the most serious crimes against our nation’s democracy a joke,” prosecutors wrote.
Johnston played pizzeria owner Jimmy Pesto Sr. in “Bob’s Burgers,” a police officer in “Arrested Development,” and a brawling newspaper reporter in “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.” played. Johnston also appeared on the HBO sketch comedy series “Mr. Show with Bob and David,” starring Bob Odenkirk and David Cross.
Originally from Chicago, Johnston moved to Los Angeles in 1993 to pursue a career as an actor. Defense lawyer Stanley Woodward said that after the riot, Johnston was fired by the creators of Bob’s Burgers, lost a role in a movie based on the show and was “effectively blacklisted” in Hollywood. ” he said.
More than 1,500 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the Capitol riot. More than 1,000 rioters were convicted and sentenced. Approximately 650 of them received prison sentences ranging from a few days to 22 years.
