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American actor and comedian, Jay Johnston has been condemned to a year and one day in jail for his role in the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
In July, Jay Johnston, who voiced Jimmy Pesto on "Bob's Burgers" and played Officer Taylor on "Arrested Development," pled guilty to a felony count of interfering with police officers during a civil disturbance. His counsel informed a federal judge that he had been "blacklisted" by Hollywood since the riot.
The 56-year-old Chicago resident was arrested in June 2023 and pled guilty in July to a felony charge of impeding officers during a civil disorder.
Johnston told U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols of his involvement in the riot. "It's a humiliation and a horrible oversight," Johnston told U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols of his involvement in the riot.
Before being sentenced, Nichols, a Trump appointee, described Johnston's behavior on Jan. 6 as "problematic — reprehensible, really" and the actor's speech as "less contrite than many" other rioters' remarks.
Prosecutors claim Johnston flew from Los Angeles to Washington the day before the disturbance and marched to the Capitol after attending a "Stop the Steal" event on January 6. He used a stolen police riot shield to build 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 claimed.
The government contended on Monday that, despite his guilty plea, Johnston did not exhibit contrition.
Prosecutors presented an image of the actor dressed as "QAnon Shaman" Jacob Chansley, a rioter sentenced to more than three years in jail, for Halloween 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 stated in the document, requesting a year-and-a-half in jail.
Johnston requested the judge for less than a year in prison, claiming that prosecutors consistently inflated his role in the incident because he is a "acclaimed Hollywood actor."
