Comedian of ‘Anchorman’ and ‘Mr. Show’ convicted in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol

WASHINGTON – A Hollywood actor who had supporting roles in “Anchorman,” “Mr. Show’, ‘Arrested Development’ and ‘Bob’s Burgers’ was sentenced on Monday to twelve months and one day in prison for his role in the January 6 attack on the US Capitol.

Jay Johnston was arrested in June 2023 And pleaded guilty in July to a misdemeanor charge of obstructing officers during a civil disorder. Johnston had long been identified as a participant in the mayhem even before his arrest, and some of the professional fallout — including no longer appearing as a voice on “Bob’s Burgers” — was felt long before the legal repercussions.

Federal prosecutors had asked 18 months in prison for Johnston, supplementing their sentencing memo with a photo of Johnston in which he “downplayed his participation in the riot by dressing up as Jacob Chansley, known as the ‘QAnon Shaman,’ at a Halloween party he was present” two years after the attack.

Prosecutors said Johnston spent about 10 minutes on Jan. 6, 2021, in the lower west tunnel leading to the Capitol, where the worst of the attack’s violence occurred. “During that time: (1) he helped at least four other rioters flush out their eyes after being sprayed with OC spray; (2) he used a stolen U.S. Capitol Police riot shield to create a “shield wall” against police inside the tunnel; and (3) participated in a “heave-ho” push that held 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 the rioters that day,” federal prosecutors wrote, Johnston “sent messages to friends and family in the days following January 6 claiming that the events at the U.S. Capitol were orchestrated by the media was exaggerating. and that it was a ‘setup’ by the police and Antifa.”

Johnston’s attorney, Stanley Woodward, wrote in a sentencing memo says the government “persistently overstated Johnston’s role in the attack because he is a critically acclaimed Hollywood actor, and the government uses his status to signal to the public.”

Johnston had “found great success in Hollywood as an actor, writer and producer, including accolades for his roles as the voice actor for Jimmy Pesto, Sr. in the animated series Bob’s Burgers and as Officer Taylor in Arrested Development,” Woodward wrote. But Johnston “has failed to sustain his livelihood as an actor following his involvement at the Capitol on January 6, 2021.”

Johnston is “essentially blacklisted from Hollywood” and “has been working as a handyman for the past two years – clearly far removed from his actual expertise and livelihood in film and television,” Woodward wrote.

In messages leading up to the attack, Johnston wrote to an acquaintance to “bring food and a toilet” to what he called “the gala affair” on Jan. 6, prosecutors said.

Johnston later wrote, in response to a question about whether he was “going to collect,” that he was “really going to collect.”

Johnston attended another meeting with conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and others the night before the attack on the Capitol and then filmed himself passing “AREA CLOSED” signs on Jan. 6, prosecutors wrote.

Johnston’s video confirms that he heard the sound of bangs in the distance and noticed the presence of police inside the Capitol before using a fallen metal bike rack to drive over a brick wall, prosecutors said. He then filmed rioters pushing a metal “Trump” billboard toward the police line, told others that police were charging at rioters, and then filmed rioters “fighting police by pushing bike racks against them in an attempt to break their police line.” prosecutors said. .

Once he reached the lower west tunnel, prosecutors said, Johnston wielded a stolen police shield and then joined a gang push, known as “heave-ho,” against police in the tunnel,” during which Officer Hodges “was crushed. between the frame of one of the doors in the tunnel and the crowd.”

Johnston “joked as rioters attacked police,” prosecutors wrote, including the comment, “Okay! We’re going to get those lights fixed!” as rioters “pushed an orange ladder toward police in the tunnel.”

More than 1,500 people have been arrested in connection with the attack on the Capitol, and federal prosecutors have secured the convictions of more than 1,100 suspects so far. More than 600 of those convicted have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from a few days behind bars to 22 years in federal prison, for a Proud Boys leader convicted of seditious conspiracy.

Additional arrests took place last weekincluding numerous rioters accused of attacking officers during the attack.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com