Chicago, Illinois Oct 29, 2024 (Issuewire.com) - The Hollywood actor, Jay Johnston, who had supporting roles in movies like ‘Anchorman’, and TV series such as ‘Mr. Show’, ‘Arrested Development’, etc. has been sentenced to jail on Monday for his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The actor was arrested in June 2023 and later pleaded guilty to a felony offense of obstructing officers during a civil disorder. He was sentenced to 12 months and a day in federal prison yesterday. The actor and comedian has long been identified as a participant in the chaotic event, even before he was finally arrested. For this, he has had many professional consequences, including no longer being a part of ‘Bob's Burgers’ as a voice actor. This came long before the legal repercussions the actor now has to face.
18 months in federal prison is sought by the federal prosecutors for Johnston. The sentence was topped with the memo and a photo of Johnston in which 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" two years after the Capitol attack. According to prosecutors, on January 6th, the actor spent about 10 minutes in the lower west tunnel, leading into the tunnel. Some of the worst violence from the attack happened here. "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 “heave-ho” push that pinned and crushed MPD Officer Daniel Hodges against a door frame," federal prosecutors wrote.
Despite "his clear knowledge of, and participation in, the violence used by rioters that day," federal prosecutors further wrote. The actor "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."
Stanley Woodward, the lawyer of Johnston expressed his feelings in a sentencing memo. He said that the government has "persistently overstated" the actor’s role in the attack "because he is an acclaimed Hollywood actor, and the government is using his status to make a point to the public." The actor had "found great success in Hollywood as an actor, writer, and producer including accolades for his role as the voice actor for Jimmy Pesto, Sr. in the animated series Bob’s Burgers and as Officer Taylor in Arrested Development," wrote Woodward. But Johnston "has not been able to sustain his livelihood as an actor after his involvement at the Capitol on January 6, 2021."
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