‘Bob’s Burgers’ actor Jay Johnston sentenced to prison for role in Jan. 6 riot

Actor Jay Johnston, of Bob’s Burgers and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy fame, is heading to situation for his relation successful the Jan. 6, 2021 riot astatine the U.S. Capitol.

On Monday, Johnston, 56, was sentenced to 12 months and 1 time successful national prison. The ruling came astir 4 months aft the histrion pleaded blameworthy to interfering with constabulary officers connected work the time of the riot.

His lawyer told a national justice he’s been “blacklisted” by Hollywood since the riot.

“It’s a humiliation and a horrible oversight,” Johnston told U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols of his information successful the riot.

He expressed regret that helium “made it much hard for the constabulary to bash their job” connected Jan. 6. He said helium ne'er would person guessed that a riot would erupt that day.

“That was due to the fact that of my ain ignorance, I believe,” helium told Nichols. “If I had been much political, I could person seen that coming, perhaps.”

The justice allowed him to stay escaped aft the proceeding and study to situation astatine a day to beryllium determined. Nichols said helium recognizes that Johnston volition miss retired connected caring for his 13-year-old autistic girl portion helium is down bars.

“But his behaviour connected January 6th was rather problematic. Reprehensible, really,” the justice said.

Johnston, who is champion known for voicing pizzeria proprietor Jimmy Pesto connected the animated Bob’s Burgers, was arrested past twelvemonth and charged with a felony number of civilian disorder. He was accused of confronting constabulary officers arsenic portion of a mob of Donald Trump supporters, galore of whom unlawfully entered the U.S. Capitol building.

On Jan. 6, 2021, Johnston was photographed among a mob of rioters assembled connected the Lower West Plaza of the U.S. Capitol gathering adjacent an country known arsenic the “Tunnel,” according to a anterior property merchandise from the U.S. District of Columbia Attorney’s Office.

The authorization said the country saw “some of the astir convulsive attacks” against instrumentality enforcement during the riot.

Johnston, who filmed overmuch of the riot connected his cellphone, stood down a enactment of constabulary barricades successful the Tunnel.

For 40 minutes, rioters attempted to region the barricades and beforehand person to the Capitol building.

Johnston was seen facing the assemblage of rioters arsenic helium pounded his fists unneurotic and pointed.

He was handed a stolen U.S. Capitol constabulary riot shield from different idiosyncratic successful the crowd. As immoderate rioters called retired to “make a shield wall,” Johnston held the shield successful beforehand of him for a fewer moments earlier handing it off.

As Johnston and others continued to propulsion toward the constabulary enactment successful the Tunnel, tribunal documents accidental a Metropolitan Police Department serviceman was crushed betwixt the assemblage and a door.

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Police were yet forced to retreat.

Soon after, Johnston near the Tunnel. He did not participate the Capitol gathering with different rioters.

On Monday, prosecutors recommended an 18-month situation condemnation for Johnston. Their sentencing memo includes a photograph of a smiling Johnston dressed arsenic Jacob Chansley, the spear-carrying Capitol rioter known arsenic the “QAnon Shaman,” astatine a Halloween enactment astir 2 years aft the siege.

“He thinks his information successful 1 of the astir superior crimes against our ideology is simply a joke,” prosecutors wrote.

Before his arrest, Johnston was 1 of hundreds sought retired by the FBI successful transportation to the riot. With the assistance of societal media users who recognized Johnston from his galore TV cameos, arsenic good arsenic Johnston’s idiosyncratic contacts, national agents were capable to marque the arrest.

More than 1,500 radical person been charged with Capitol riot-related national crimes. More than 1,000 rioters person been convicted and sentenced. Roughly 650 of them received situation clip ranging from a fewer days to 22 years.

Johnston is nary longer the dependable of Jimmy Pesto connected Bob’s Burgers. Canadian-American dependable histrion Eric Bauza has since taken connected the role.

Johnston’s acting credits besides see the TV shows Arrested Development, Mr. Show with Bob and David, Better Call Saul and The Sarah Silverman Program.

— with files from Global News and The Associated Press