Jay Johnston, an actor on “Bob’s Burgers,” “Arrested Development” and more, was charged by the Department of Justice for participating in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, according to court documents.
Johnston was arrested Wednesday in California, according to NBC News, which broke the news. He faces charges for felony obstruction of officers during civil disorder, in addition to other misdemeanor offenses.
In March 2021, the FBI tweeted a photo of Johnston in the crowd of rioters at the Capitol on Jan. 6 and requested information on his identity. In the court documents, the DOJ identified Johnston via multiple images of him captured on officer body-cam footage, bystander video and CCTV feeds. Johnston could be seen wearing a green camouflage neck gaiter and a dark leather jacket on Capitol grounds. With other rioters, he took a stolen Capitol Police riot shield to create a “shield wall” and push against a line officers.
On the animated series “Bob’s Burgers,” Johnston voiced the character of Jimmy Pesto Sr., a fellow restaurant owner and main rival to lead character Bob Belcher (voiced by H. Jon Benjamin). In December 2021 after his alleged involvement in the Jan. 6 riot, he was fired from the Fox series. In total, he appeared in 43 episodes across the first 11 seasons of “Bob’s Burgers.”
In the late ’90s, Johnson was a writer and actor on “Mr. Show,” starring Bob Odenkirk and David Cross. He’s credited on 28 episodes. He played police officer Taylor on “Arrested Development” and appeared in 10 episodes during its run. Johnston also starred in several Adult Swim animated series, including “Moral Orel,” “Mr. Pickles,” “Momma Named Me Sheriff” and “Mary Shelley’s Frankenhole.” His other acting credits include “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy,” “Better Call Saul,” “Community,” “Parks and Recreation,” “Rick and Morty,” “Modern Family,” “The Sarah Silverman Program” and more.
