Jay Johnston is going to prison.
On Monday (October 28), a judge sentenced the 56-year-old actor, best known for voicing Jimmy Pesto on Bob’s Burgers, to one year and one day in federal prison after he was convicted of a felony for his participation in the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, according to ABC News.
Keep reading to find out more…Johnston was first arrested and charged felony obstruction of officers during civil disorder along with some misdemeanor offenses.
This past July, he pleaded guilty to interfering with the police officers that were trying to protect the Capitol from the mobs of rioters.
Prosecutors sought 18 months in prison for Johnston, noting that his “spread of disinformation about January 6” and his “lack of remorse for participating in the riot,” according to Variety.
They also noted that he “made 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” in October 2022.
Johnston‘s lawyers wrote in a memo that the government has “persistently overstated” his role in the Insurrection “because he is an acclaimed Hollywood actor.” He added that Johnston “has not been able to sustain his livelihood as an actor” and “has essentially been blacklisted by Hollywood” due to his involvement in the attack on the Capitol.
Before receiving his sentencing, Johnston spoke to the court and took responsibility for his role in the riots, which he described as “reprehensible.”
In addition to his prison sentence, Johnston was also sentenced to 40 hours of community service, which much be completed within a year of his release. He must also pay $2,000 in restitution to the Architect of the Capitol.
The step-son of a former Real Housewives star was also recently arrested on charges related to the Jan. 6 insurrection.
