‘Bob’s Burgers’ actor Jay Johnston sentenced to year in prison for Jan. 6 Capitol riot

Former “Bob’s Burgers” voice actor Jay Johnston was sentenced Monday to one year and one day in prison following his guilty plea in July for his involvement in the Jan. 6 riot at the US Capitol.

Johnston, who voiced restaurant rival Jimmy Pesto Sr. on the animated show, was charged with felony obstruction of officers during civil disorder, impeding passage through the Capitol grounds, and unlawful entry on restricted buildings or grounds.

In court, Johnston, 56, admitted to his involvement in the riot and told US District Judge Carl Nichols that his decision-making that day was a “horrible oversight.”

Authorities claim that on Jan. 6, 2021, Johnston “pushed against police and aided other rioters near an entrance to the US Capitol known as ‘the tunnel.’”

The actor was also accused of assisting “other rioters in handing up US Capitol Police shields” that protesters had forcibly taken from officers trying to maintain the perimeter around the Capitol, according to an FBI agent’s affidavit. He was also later seen using one of these stolen shields himself.

The FBI posted two pictures of Johnston on its X account in March 2021 asking the public for information on those “who took part in the violence at the US Capitol on January 6,” and fans of the Emmy-winning show flooded the comments in shock.

Three associates of Johnston’s also identified him as a riot suspect to the FBI, according to an agent. One even shared a text message with the authorities where Johnston confirmed his presence at the Capitol.

“The news has presented it as an attack. It actually wasn’t. Thought it kind of turned into that. It was a mess. Got maced and tear gassed and I found it quite untastic,” Johnston had written, according to the FBI.

The photos were later confirmed to be of Johnston, and he was arrested in Los Angeles in June 2023.

Johnston was fired from “Bob’s Burgers” in December 2021. He previously worked on “Mr. Show” as a writer and acted in numerous one-off episodes of critically-acclaimed television shows like “Better Call Saul” and “Rick and Morty.”

With Post Wires