Jay Johnston, the actor and comedian known for work on Mr. Show, Arrested Development, and Bob’s Burgers, has been sentenced to prison for his participation in the riot at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
How long is Jay Johnston’s prison sentence?
Johnston, who was arrested for his participation last year, pleaded guilty to a felony offense of obstructing officers during a civil disorder in July. As a result, Johnston has been sentenced to 12 months and a day in federal prison.
The prosecution had initially been seeking a prison sentence of 18 months due to Johnston making “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,” according to NBC News.
Johnston was alleged to have spent about 10 minutes in the lowest west tunnel that leads into the Capitol. According to prosecutors, during that time Johnston helped several rioters wash their eyes out, created a “shield wall” using a stolen United States Capitol Police riot shield, and also participated in a push that pinned MPD Officer Daniel Hodges against a door during the riot.
Johnston’s participation in the riots was widely publicized almost immediately after the events. Photos of his face began circulating on social media during the events, and in the years leading up to his arrest, the actor was not shy about sending “messages to friends and family in the days after January 6th claiming the events at the U.S. Capitol were exaggerated by the media and that it was a ‘setup’ by the police and Antifa,” according to the prosecution.
Following the confirmation that he had appeared in the Capitol riots, Johnston was fired from his role on Bob’s Burgers, where he had appeared in a recurring role as Jimmy Pesto Sr.
(Source: NBC News)