Actor Jay Johnston — best known for his roles on Bob’s Burgers, Arrested Development, and Mr. Show — is headed to prison.
Johnston was arrested in June of 2023 for his role in the January 6 Capitol Building riots.
One month later, he pled guilty to one felony count of obstructing officers during a civil disorder.
Now, Deadline is reporting that the veteran comic and character actor has now been sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison.
According to court documents obtained by the outlet, Johnston flew from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., on January 5, 2021, to attend the Stop the Steal Rally.
Prosecutors alleged that Johnston watched and filmed as rioters attacked police.
They say he then used a stolen U.S. Capitol Police riot shield to make a “shield wall” against the police and was part of a group that pinned and crushed a police officer against a wall.
In the days following the riots, Johnston sent messages to family and friends arguing that the events at the Capitol had been exaggerated by the media.
He also claimed that the situation was a “setup” by the police and Antifa with the goal of targeting Trump supporters.
Johnston “made light of his participation in the riot by dressing up as Jacob Chansley, known as the ‘QAnon Shaman,’ at a Halloween party that he attended.”
Now, this once-popular figure on the LA comedy scene will be spending the next year behind bars.
But Johnston can take solace in the situation that his situation could’ve been considerably worse.
Noting his “spread of disinformation about Jan. 6” and his “lack of remorse for participating in the riot,” prosecutors initially sought a sentence of 18 months.
But with his plea deal and good behavior, the 56-year-old could be out of jail by mid-2025. Of course, it seems unlikely that he’ll be able to find much work in his current field.
Johnston first burst onto the scene in the early 1990s, portraying numerous characters on Bob Odenkirk and David Cross’ influential sketch show Mr. Show.
He went on to star on the Sarah Silverman Program and co-starred with the comic again on Bob’s Burgers, where he portrayed Jimmy Pesto on 42 episodes.
Johnston has yet to speak publicly on today’s sentencing.
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