Beloved Bob’s Burgers Star Arrested For Role In January 6 Attack!

M.B.

Well, this is a sad day for comedy fans…

It was confirmed once and for all on Wednesday that Jay Johnston, fan favorite from Mr. Show, The Sarah Silverman Program, and Bob’s Burgers, was indeed present at the January 6 insurrection attempt. And like many others before him he’s going to prison for it.

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Johnston, best known these days for playing pizzeria owner Jimmy Pesto on the beloved animated series Bob’s Burgers, was arrested in Los Angeles on Wednesday — by the FBI no less. The Department of Justice revealed in a criminal complaint that the comic is being hit with four charges: 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.

Thankfully for him, he wasn’t one of the masterminds behind the attack — those folks are getting charged with much more serious crimes, such as seditious conspiracy. The founder of Donald Trump-supporting far-right group the Oath Keepers, for instance, was sentenced to 18 years behind bars. Compared to that, we’re guessing ol’ Jimmy Pesto is looking at months — assuming he plays ball and pleads guilty.

Related: Trump Caught On Tape Again — Another Indictment Coming??

Unfortunately for him, he was one of the easier crowd members to identify. In the days following the attack, the FBI posted pics of everyone spotted on camera breaking into the Capitol Building to try to stop the election certification — and thus interrupting the peaceful transfer of power.

His pics stood out for comedy fans, who thought at first it was funny that one of the rioters happened to look like that hilarious guy from Mr. Show.

It stopped being funny all too quickly as folks who knew the man personally revealed that unbelievably, it was him. Those individuals were apparently questioned by the feds, too! Per the complaint, obtained by The Hollywood Reporter:

“The FBI has interviewed three current or former associates of Johnston, all of whom identified Johnston as the individual in the above photographs of 247-AFO.”

Not only did they give the government a positive ID, one proved how they knew for certain — because he texted and told them he was there!

“One of these associates provided the FBI with a text message in which Johnston acknowledged being at the Capitol on January 6, stating ‘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.’”

Apparently, in addition to being a very funny man, he has also fallen under the spell of Trump and those who would keep him in power at all costs. Someone else who knew of his new political leanings also shared with THR a pic of him mocking (we think?) his own predicament by dressing up in costume as the most recognizable January 6 attacker, the “Qanon Shaman.”

It’s a sobering reminder that, just as many of our family members have been convinced by Trump’s big lie about the election being stolen, so too have plenty we’ve grown to love onscreen.

But hey, at least we can still rely on Xena, the warrior princess IRL …

[Image via Netflix/Bob’s Burgers/YouTube/FBI/Twitter.]

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