Disgraced Trump-loving actor Jay Johnston has been sentenced to 366 days in prison and restitution payments of $2,000 after pleading guilty to rioting at the Capitol on Jan. 6, CBS News' Scott MacFarlane reported on Monday.
Johnston has had roles in "Anchorman" and "Arrested Development," and is perhaps best known for his portrayal of the obnoxious restaurant owner Jimmy Pesto on the hit adult animated sitcom "Bob's Burgers," which fired him in 2021 after he was revealed to have participated in the storming of the Capitol.
Johnston was arrested in 2023. According to prosecutors, Johnston helped other rioters by rinsing pepper spray out of their eyes, then attacked Capitol Police using a stolen riot shield.
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He took a plea deal for a count of obstructing officers during a civil disorder, which carried a sentence of up to 18 months.
Johnston asked for leniency at sentencing, with his legal counsel arguing to the court that he has already been punished by being "blacklisted by the film and television industry" and that federal prosecutors were "persistently overstated Johnston’s participation at the Capitol" because "he is an acclaimed Hollywood actor."
"The government is using his status to make a point to the public," his attorneys said.
Prosecutors shot back at sentencing, saying that his actions showed no hint of remorse.
"Despite his clear knowledge of, and participation in, the violence used by rioters that day, Johnston sent messages to friends and family in the days after Jan 6th claiming the events at the US Capitol were exaggerated by the media and that it was a 'setup.'"
Roughly 1,300 people have been arrested in connection with the Jan. 6 attack, which was carried out to try to stop members of Congress from certifying President Joe Biden's election. Most were charged with misdemeanor offenses, but most of those accused of assaulting Capitol Police directly were charged with felonies, while the leaders of far-right militias like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers were convicted of seditious conspiracy.
