'Bob’s Burgers' actor sentenced to 1 year in prison for Jan. 6 role

An actor known for roles in the animated series “Bob’s Burgers” and “Arrested Development” was sentenced Monday 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.

Actor Jay Johnston attends "The Sarah Silverman Program" presented by The Paley Center for Media on May 2, 2008, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Neilson Barnard, Getty Images file)

“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.

When his sentence was handed down, Johnston looked straight ahead with a furrowed brow. His father, brother and fiancé attended the hearing and spoke in his support.

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.”

Woodward suggested that Johnston should complete an outsized amount of community service — more than 500 hours, in Los Angeles or Washington — to atone instead of serving a prison term.

Nichols sentenced Johnston to 40 hours of community service in addition to his prison term, which much be completed within a year of his release. He must also pay $2,000 in restitution to the Architect of the Capitol.

More than 1,500 rioters have been charged in connection with the Capitol attack.

Updated at 2:13 p.m. EDT