Tuesday, October 29, 2024 - American actor and comedian, Jay Johnston has been sentenced to a year and one day in prison for his connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
Jay Johnston, who voiced the role of Jimmy Pesto in “Bob’s
Burgers” and played Officer Taylor on “Arrested Development,” pleaded guilty to
a felony count of interfering with law enforcement during civil disorder in
July. His attorney told a federal judge he’s been “blacklisted” by Hollywood
since the riot.
The 56-year-old from Chicago was arrested in June 2023
and pleaded guilty in July to a felony offence of obstructing
officers during a civil disorder.
“It’s a humiliation and a horrible oversight,” Johnston told
U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols of his participation in the riot.
Nichols, a Trump appointee, called Johnston’s conduct on
Jan. 6 “problematic — reprehensible, really” and described the actor’s
statement as “less contrite than many” other rioters’ remarks before being
sentenced.
Prosecutors said Johnston flew from Los Angeles to
Washington the day before the riot, then marched to the Capitol after attending
the “Stop the Steal” rally on Jan. 6. There, he used a stolen police riot
shield to form a “shield wall” inside a tunnel against law enforcement and
participated in a “‘heave-ho’ push” that “pinned and crushed” a police officer
against a door frame, they said.
The government argued Monday that, despite his guilty plea,
Johnston failed to show remorse.
Prosecutors pointed to an image of the actor dressed as
“QAnon Shaman” Jacob Chansley, a rioter sentenced to more than three years in
prison, for Halloween in 2022.
“An 18-month sentence reflects the gravity of Johnston’s
conduct, including his spread of disinformation about January 6th and his lack
of remorse for participating in the riot,” prosecutors wrote in the memo,
seeking a prison sentence of a year and a half for Johnston.
Johnston asked the judge for less than one year in prison,
suggesting that prosecutors persistently overstated his role in the riot
because he’s an “acclaimed Hollywood actor.”
“At its core, the government has continued to advance Mr.
Johnston’s indictment on a ‘guilty-by-association’ basis, in which it compounds
the conduct of others in the proximity of Mr. Johnston with his alleged
conduct, rather than maintaining focus on Mr. Johnston’s individualized
actions,” Johnston attorney Stanley Woodward wrote in his sentencing
memorandum.
Johnston sought leniency from the judge, asserting that he
has been unable to “sustain his livelihood” as an actor since joining the mob
on Jan. 6. His attorney confirmed the actor was fired from Fox’s “Bob’s
Burgers” after his presence at the Capitol was confirmed.
Tim Johnston, Johnston’s younger brother, told Nichols that
he was “completely shocked” to learn that his brother participated in the
Capitol attack. He urged the judge to weigh Johnston’s guilty plea with the
damage it’s done to his career, including the loss of his recurring “Bob’s
Burgers” role and a related movie, of which his character was subsequently
written out.
“He’s closing the door by pleading guilty here,” the younger
Johnston said of his brother’s acting career.
Woodward said the actor, whose roles also included parts in
“Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” and “Mr. Show with Bob and David,” has
worked as a handyman for the last two years to support his family.
Johnston’s family told the judge that his 13-year-old
daughter, who is autistic, has significant developmental issues and relies on
his support.
His fiancé, Sara Radovanovitch, also said that neighborhood
kids look to him as a mentor, often trailing him like the “pied piper.”
Nichols sentenced Johnston to 40 hours of community service
in addition to his prison term, which must be completed within a year of his
release.
He must also pay $2,000 in restitution to the Architect of
the Capitol.
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