What did Jay Johnston do? 'Bob's Burgers' actor faces one-year prison sentence over January 6 Capitol riot involvement 

Jay Johnston, the popular Bob's Burgers actor has been sentenced to one year and a day in prison for his role in the January 6 insurrection that took place in the United States Capitol building in Washington D.C. The same happened after Jay Johnston pleaded guilty in July for his participation in the mob attack.

As per ABC News, Jay was charged with one count of interfering with law enforcement officers as he was seen with the rioters in several videos floating on social media. The sentencing took place on Monday, October 28, 2024. In the court, Jay Johnston expressed his remorse by stating:

“I made it more difficult for the police to do their job. I never thought a riot would break out. That was because of my own ignorance.”

For the unversed, a group of supporters of former U.S. President Donald Trump stormed the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., on January 6, 2021, in a bid to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. The riot took place two months after Trump’s defeat.

The violent attempt aimed to disrupt the certification process, where Congress was set to count Electoral College votes and confirm Joe Biden as the incoming president.

However, the riot was unsuccessful. Due to the riot, many were left injured, and many media outlets like The Guardian reported that six people even lost their lives due to the same.

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Prosecutors demanded that Jay Johnston should be imprisoned for no less than 18 months: More details explored as the Bob's Burgers actor gets sentenced

While Jay Johnston has been sentenced to a year and one day in prison, it is worth noting that the prosecutors argued and demanded 18 months in prison, as they stated that Johnston did not show responsibility in accepting his actions.

The prosecutors alleged that Jay Johnston did not just actively participate in the riots, but also filmed the events occurring during the time on his cell phone. The federal prosecutors alleged:

“During that time, he: (1) helped at least four other rioters wash their eyes out after being sprayed with OC spray; (2) used a stolen United States Capitol Police riot shield to make a ‘shield wall’ against the police inside the tunnel; and (3) participated in a ‘heave-ho’ push that pinned and crushed MPD Officer Daniel Hodges against a door frame.”

Furthermore, videos taken by Johnston on the day of the attack, later presented in court, depicted him scaling a wall with a metal bike rack, wielding a Donald Trump billboard as a shield against police officers, and making jokes about other rioters assaulting the police. Prosecutors also stated:

“Jay Johnston sent 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 despite his clear knowledge of and participation in, the violence used by rioters that day."

Jay Johnston, born in 1968 is best known for his shows, Mr. Show with Bob and David, The Sarah Silverman Program, and Arrested Development. His most popular role remains Jimmy Pesto on Bob’s Burgers.

Furthermore, the actor has also been seen in numerous films, like Not Another Teen Movie, Men in Black II, Dirty Love, Demoted, Wing Dad, Hell and Back and many more.