Comedic actor Jay Johnston has been arrested by the FBI for his alleged participation in the January 6, 2021 riots at the U.S. Capitol.
As per a report from The Hollywood Reporter, Johnston was charged by the Department of Justice on four charges for his presence at the Capitol. Johnston was arrested Wednesday on charges that include civil disorder, entering or remaining in a restricted building, and disorderly conduct in a restricted building.
The report goes on to mention that — according to the FBI — flight records indicate Johnston flew from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. on January 4. He returned three days later on January 7.
“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,” reads the official criminal complaint. “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.’”
Johnston’s appearance at the January 6 riots went viral when his photos were posted by the official FBI Twitter account. The tweet itself asked for information on people who took part in the riots; fans were quick to point out Johnston in both photographs.
Johnston is best-known for his roles on a variety of hit comedy shows. These include being a writer and cast member on sketch comedy series Mr. Show. Johnston has also appeared in a variety of other popular comedies, including The Sarah Silverman Program and Arrested Development. He also starred as Jimmy Pesto in beloved animated comedy Bob’s Burgers.