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Jay Johnston, an actor known for his roles on “Bob’s Burgers,” “Arrested Development” and more comedies, has been arrested and charged with crimes in connection to the January 6th Capitol riot.
According to an arrest warrant obtained by USA TODAY, Johnston, 54, was arrested in Los Angeles, California on Wednesday and charged with civil disorder, entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds and impeding passage through the Capitol grounds or buildings. He was expected to make his initial court appearance today.
USA TODAY was unable to locate contact information for Johnston for comment.
In a Statement of Facts document, a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation provided still images from footage of the riot taken from public videos, closed circuit television and police body cameras. The document states that a man in the images who “pushed against police and aided other rioters” near the Capitol entrance has been identified by law enforcement as Johnston.
The agent also said the FBI has interviewed “three current and former associates” of Johnston, all of whom identified the actor as the individual in the photographs. One of the associates also provided the FBI a text message in which Johnston stated, “The news has presented it as an attack. It actually wasn’t. (Though) it kind of turned into that. It was a mess. Got maced and tear gassed …,” the document says. It also states United Airlines records show Johnston had a round-trip flight from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. departing Jan. 4 and returning Jan. 7.
The document further accuses Johnston of participating in a “shield wall” in which several members of the crowd “joined together to push against police in a concerted movement.”
While the mob attacked police in the tunnel with pepper spray and other weapons, Johnston helped other rioters near the tunnel pour water on their faces, the document says, adding that Johnston also held a stolen police shield over his head and passed it to other rioters.
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Johnston voiced the character Jimmy Pesto on Fox’s “Bob’s Burgers.” The Daily Beast reported in December 2021 that Johnston was “banned” from the animated show after the Jan. 6 riot.
According to his IMDb profile, Johnston has acted in several television comedies, lending his voice to other animated shows like “Momma Named Me Sheriff,” “Mr. Pickles” and “Rick and Morty.” He also acted in 10 episodes of “Arrested Development,” 32 episodes of “The Sarah Silverman Program.” and four episodes of “Love” and appeared in “Parks and Recreation,” “Reno 911!,” “Modern Family,” “Malcolm in the Middle” and the movie “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.”
Thousands of people stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 after attending then-President Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally.
More than 1,000 people have been charged with federal crimes for their conduct at the Capitol on Jan. 6. More than 500 of them have been sentenced, with over half getting terms of imprisonment ranging from seven days to 18 years, according to an Associated Press review of court records.
Contributing: Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press
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