'Anchorman' Actor Jay Johnston Pleads Guilty to Obstructing Police During Jan. 6 Riots

An actor who played a street fighter journalist in the film “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” and a pizza shop owner in the television series “Bob's Burgers” pleaded guilty Monday to interfering with police officers trying to protect the U.S. Capitol from a mob attack on Jan. 6, 2021.

Jay Johnston, 55, of Los Angeles, faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison after pleading guilty to civil disorder, a felony. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols is scheduled to sentence Johnston on Oct. 7.

Johnston's attorney, Stanley Woodward, asked his client not to comment to reporters as they left the courtroom.

Johnston, who was arrested last Juneis one of more than 1,400 people charged with federal crimes stemming from the events of January 6. attack on the United States Capitol.

The FBI alleges that video footage captured by Johnston According to an FBI agent's affidavit, Johnston carried a stolen police shield over his head and passed it to other rioters during the attack on January 6, 2021.

Johnston “was near the tunnel entrance, turned around and motioned for other rioters to come toward the entrance,” the officer wrote.

The video allegedly shows Johnston, wearing a green camouflage neck warmer and a dark leather jacket, “participating with other rioters in a mob assault on the officers,” prosecutors said, and later “joining other rioters in repeatedly shoving the officers who were defending them.”

“The rioters coordinated the timing of the pushes by shouting ‘Heave! Ho!’” prosecutors wrote, while posting more than a dozen messages. screenshots from the video of the incident.

Johnston was the voice of the character Jimmy Pesto on Fox's “Bob's Burgers.” The Daily Beast reported In 2021, Johnston was “banned” from the animated series following the Capitol attack.

Johnston appeared on “Mr. Show with Bob and David,” an HBO sketch comedy series starring Bob Odenkirk and David Cross. He also had small roles on the television series “Arrested Development” and the film “Anchorman,” starring Will Ferrell.

A Chicago native, Johnston began his comedy career doing improv at the Second City and the Annoyance Theater in Chicago before moving to Los Angeles, CBS Chicago reported.

Three current or former associates of Johnston identified him as a riot suspect from photos posted online by the FBI. The FBI said one of those associates provided investigators with a text message in which Johnston acknowledged being at the Capitol on Jan. 6.

“The media portrayed it as an attack. It wasn’t. I thought it turned into that. It was a disaster. I was sprayed with pepper spray and pepper spray and I found it pretty disgusting,” Johnston wrote, according to the FBI.

The Ministry of Justice has followed More than 1,200 criminal cases have been opened following the January 6 storming of the Capitol, including more than 700 who have pleaded guilty to various charges and dozens more who have been convicted.

Last month, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a former Pennsylvania police officer who was charged with obstruct an official proceeding after entering the U.S. Capitol during the riot, and restricted the Justice Department's use of a federal obstruction law against dozens of people who entered the building. The move could have implications for ongoing prosecutions of nearly 250 obstruction defendants for their involvement in the Jan. 6 assault.

The government has recovered only a fraction court-ordered restitution payments for repairs, police injuries and cleaning up damage caused by rioters, according to a CBS News investigation. Former President Donald Trump has publicly pledged to forgive As of January 6, he did not say whether he would also seek to commute their restitution payments.

Robert Legare, Melissa Quinn and Scott MacFarlane contributed to this report.