_Bob’s Burgers_ and _Mr. Show_ actor Jay Johnston has pleaded guilty to a felony charge for his participation in the storming of the US capital on January 6th 2021.
Johnston, 55, was charged with several misdemeanors and a felony count of interfering with law enforcement officers during civil disorder. He was arrested for his participation in the capital riot in June of last year.
Johnston’s Role In The Chaos Of January 6th
After his arrest Johnson was indicted by the federal government, who alleged he and 4 other men participated in the battle with law enforcement that took place in the lower west tunnel.
Johnson is seen on eyewitness video that the FBI alleges shows him helping rioters who were attacking police, as well as attacking them himself. He is seen in the video holding a stolen police shield over his head and passing it to other participants in the attack.
The Online Hunt For Johnston
Johnston was initially listed only as No. 247 on the FBI’s Capital Violence website, which it set up to identify the most wanted participants in the attack on the capital. Pictures of a tall man in a black jacket and green camouflage neck gaiter were posted there and lead to almost immediate speculation on social media that they were Johnston.
According to the FBI three associates of Johnston’s helped identify him as the man in the photographs. Following this Johnston’s lawyer contacted the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center and the actor turned himself in June of 2023.
Additional Evidence Against Johnston
In addition to the plethora of video evidence against Johnston, investigators cited two additional pieces of evidence- his plane trip to DC which returned to Los Angeles on January 7th, as well as a text message Johnston sent to a friend.
In this particularly damning text Johnson writes to his friend that “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[sic].”
Jay Johnston’s Career In Entertainment
Johnston has had a career on screens big and small dating back almost 30 years, beginning with the HBO sketch comedy show _Mr. Show_ in 1995. He is well known for starring in what many consider to be the single best sketch from that show, “The Story Of Everest,” in which he clumsily regales his parents about his trip up and down the treacherous mountain.
Johnston also had small roles in _Arrested Development _and other sitcoms, as well as a memorable turn as a street brawling reporter in the 2004 comedy _Anchorman, _as well as its sequel.
Portraying Law Enforcement Officers
Ironically given his conviction for interfering with law enforcement officers, Johnston has a long history of portraying those same officers on television and film.
In both the aforementioned _Arrested Development_ and Comedy Central’s _The Sarah Silverman Program_ Johnston portrayed police officers. In _Men In Black 2_ Johnston even portrayed an FBI Agent, in an unfortunate preview of his eventual entanglement with the Bureau.
Jay Johnston’s Most Famous Role
Today audiences will best know Jay Johnston from his voice acting role as Jimmy Pesto Sr. on the popular Fox animated sitcom _Bob’s Burgers._
A series regular and fan favorite from the start of the show, Johnston’s Pesto is a foil to the main character, Bob. He owns a pizza shop across from the titular _Bob’s Burger’s_ restaurant and regularly harasses Bob and his family for what he perceives to be their lack of success, in comparison to his.
Professional Backlash
Professional backlash for Johnston started well before his conviction or even his being charged. In 2021 it was reported that Jimmy Pesto Sr. was written out of _Bob’s Burgers_ due to Johnston’s involvement in the capital riot, as many fans had publicly demanded his ousting.
Some of Johnston’s former costars, such as _Mr. Show_ co-creator David Cross, have publicly expressed their shock and sadness at the turn Johnston’s life has taken. His last major acting credit was in 2021 and clearly no more roles are forthcoming. The role of Jimmy Pesto Sr. has since been recast.
Sentencing
Johnston is currently awaiting sentencing for his conviction. The presiding judge, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, has set a sentencing hearing for 10 AM on October 7th.
Nichols has asked federal prosecutors to turn in their sentencing memo by September 30th and for the defense to turn theirs in by October 3rd. Johnston faces a maximum of 5 years in prison for his conviction.
Ongoing Fallout From Jan. 6
In the years since the events of January 6th 2021 the FBI has made more 1,400 arrests of those accused of participating, and over 1,000 of them have been convicted.
The clock is ticking on the FBI’s ability to prosecute even more participants in the riots. The statute of limitations is up in early 2026 and there are still hundreds of participants identified as participating but not yet arrested.
