Jared Fogle

Jared Scott Fogle
Born:	August 23, 1977 Indianapolis, Indiana
Charges:	Distribution and receipt of child pornography, Traveling to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor
Sentence:	188 months
Facility:	FCI Englewood
Status:	Incarcerated

Jared Scott Fogle (born August 23, 1977) is an American former advertising spokesman and convicted sex offender who was sentenced to more than 15 years in federal prison for child pornography distribution and engaging in commercial sex acts with minors. Fogle rose to fame in the early 2000s as the spokesman for the Subway restaurant chain after losing a substantial amount of weight on a diet that consisted largely of Subway sandwiches. His wholesome image made his downfall particularly shocking when federal authorities arrested him in July 2015 on charges related to child pornography and the sexual exploitation of minors. Fogle pleaded guilty to one count of traveling to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor and one count of distribution and receipt of child pornography, and was sentenced to 188 months (approximately 15 years and 8 months) in federal prison—three years more than prosecutors had requested and eight years more than the defense had sought. He is currently incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution in Englewood, Colorado, and is scheduled for release no earlier than March 2029.

Summary

Jared Fogle's transformation from beloved advertising figure to convicted child sex offender represents one of the most dramatic falls from grace in American corporate history. For more than 15 years, Fogle served as the face of Subway's marketing campaigns, appearing in countless commercials and public appearances promoting the message that eating Subway sandwiches had helped him lose over 200 pounds. He became one of the most recognizable advertising pitchmen in America and was held up as an inspirational figure of personal transformation.

Behind the wholesome public image, however, Fogle was engaged in predatory behavior involving minors. Federal investigators discovered that between 2001 and 2015, Fogle received and viewed child pornography, including material produced by his associate Russell Taylor, who secretly recorded children in his home. Even more disturbing, Fogle traveled to New York City and elsewhere to engage in commercial sex acts with minors, and he sought to arrange additional encounters with underage girls. Text messages recovered by investigators showed Fogle offering to pay a teenage victim if she could find other underage girls for him to have sex with.

The severity of Fogle's crimes was reflected in his sentence, which exceeded both what prosecutors recommended and what sentencing guidelines suggested. The court also ordered Fogle to pay $1.4 million in restitution to his 14 victims—the largest amount of restitution ever ordered in a child pornography or sex trafficking case in the history of the Southern District of Indiana—and to submit to a lifetime of supervised release following his imprisonment.

Background

Early Life

Jared Scott Fogle was born on August 23, 1977, in Indianapolis, Indiana. He attended North Central High School in Indianapolis and later enrolled at Indiana University in Bloomington. As a college student, Fogle was significantly overweight, reportedly weighing over 425 pounds at his heaviest.

Weight Loss and Rise to Fame

In the late 1990s, Fogle lost a substantial amount of weight—reportedly over 200 pounds—on a self-designed diet that consisted largely of Subway sandwiches. His story came to the attention of Subway's advertising agency, and in 2000, Fogle appeared in his first commercial for the sandwich chain. The "Jared Diet" became a marketing phenomenon, and Fogle was transformed into one of the most recognizable advertising spokesmen in America.

For the next 15 years, Fogle was the public face of Subway, appearing in hundreds of commercials and making countless public appearances on behalf of the company. He established the Jared Foundation, ostensibly to combat childhood obesity—a cause that, in light of his later crimes, took on a deeply disturbing cast. Fogle became wealthy from his Subway partnership and lived in the affluent suburb of Zionsville, Indiana, with his wife and children.

Connection to Russell Taylor

Russell Taylor was the executive director of the Jared Foundation, the nonprofit organization Fogle had established. Unbeknownst to the public, Taylor was producing child pornography by secretly recording children in his home using hidden cameras. In May 2015, Taylor was arrested on child pornography charges after his ex-wife discovered the recordings and reported him to authorities.

The investigation into Taylor led investigators to Fogle. They discovered that Taylor had shared child pornography with Fogle, and that Fogle had been aware of Taylor's activities. The investigation also revealed Fogle's own pattern of seeking commercial sex with minors—conduct entirely separate from his connection to Taylor.

Indictment, Prosecution, and Sentencing

FBI Investigation and Arrest

On July 7, 2015, FBI agents and Indiana State Police investigators raided Fogle's Zionsville residence and removed computers and other electronic devices. The raid was connected to the investigation that had begun with Russell Taylor's arrest. For weeks, Fogle's fate was uncertain as investigators examined the evidence they had gathered.

On August 19, 2015, federal prosecutors announced charges against Fogle. He was charged with one count of traveling to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor and one count of distribution and receipt of child pornography. The same day, Fogle pleaded guilty to both counts as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors.

The Crimes

The evidence against Fogle revealed a pattern of predatory behavior spanning more than a decade:

Child Pornography: Between March 2001 and May 2015, Fogle received and viewed child pornography, including material provided to him by Russell Taylor. The material included both commercially produced files and homemade recordings that Taylor had created by secretly filming children in Indiana.

Commercial Sex with Minors: In November 2012, Fogle traveled to New York City and engaged in commercial sex with a 17-year-old girl in a hotel. After the encounter, he sent the victim text messages offering to pay her a fee if she could find other underage girls to have sex with him. This was not an isolated incident—evidence suggested Fogle had sought and engaged in commercial sex with minors on multiple occasions.

Sentencing

On November 19, 2015, U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt sentenced Fogle to 188 months (15 years and 8 months) in federal prison. The sentence was three years longer than the 12.5 years prosecutors had requested and eight years longer than the defense's request for approximately 5 years.

Judge Pratt's sentence reflected the court's assessment of the seriousness of Fogle's crimes and his exploitation of both the victims and his public platform. In addition to the prison term, Fogle was ordered to:

• Pay $1,400,000 in restitution to the 14 victims in the case (eight of whom were still minors), the largest amount of restitution ever ordered in a child pornography case in the Southern District of Indiana
• Forfeit assets of $50,000
• Pay a $175,000 fine
• Submit to a lifetime of supervised release following his imprisonment
• Register as a sex offender

At sentencing, several victims addressed the court about the impact of Fogle's crimes. Fogle apologized to his victims and acknowledged that his actions were inexcusable.

Russell Taylor, Fogle's co-conspirator, was sentenced to 27 years in federal prison for his role in producing and distributing child pornography.

Prison Experience

Fogle is serving his sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Englewood, Colorado, a low-security federal prison near Denver. The facility houses male inmates and is part of a larger federal correctional complex.

Fogle will not be eligible for release until March 24, 2029, at the earliest, after serving a minimum of 13 years of his sentence. Upon release, he will be subject to lifetime supervision and sex offender registration requirements.

Public Statements and Positions

At his guilty plea and sentencing, Fogle acknowledged his crimes and expressed remorse. "I'm so sorry," he told the court at sentencing. However, his apology was overshadowed by the severity of his conduct and the court's determination that a significant prison sentence was warranted.

Subway terminated its relationship with Fogle immediately upon learning of the investigation in July 2015. The company issued statements expressing shock and horror at the revelations about its longtime spokesman. The Jared Foundation was dissolved.

Terminology

• Child Pornography: Visual depictions of sexually explicit conduct involving minors, the production, distribution, and possession of which are federal crimes.

• Sex Trafficking of Minors: The recruitment, harboring, transportation, or obtaining of a minor for commercial sex acts.

• Restitution: Court-ordered payment from the offender to victims to compensate for harm caused by the crime.

• Supervised Release: A period of supervision following release from federal prison, during which the offender must comply with specified conditions.

See also

• Ghislaine Maxwell
• Prison Consultants

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why did Jared Fogle go to prison?

Fogle pleaded guilty in August 2015 to distribution and receipt of child pornography and traveling to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. He admitted to receiving child pornography, knowing that it was produced using minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and to traveling across state lines to pay for sex with minors. The investigation revealed that Fogle paid for sex with minors at least 13 times between 2007 and 2015.

Q: How long is Jared Fogle's prison sentence?

Fogle was sentenced to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison in November 2015. He was also ordered to pay $1.4 million in restitution to 14 victims—$100,000 to each victim. He must register as a sex offender upon release and will be subject to supervised release for the rest of his life. His projected release date is approximately 2029.

Q: What prison is Jared Fogle in?

Fogle is currently incarcerated at FCI Englewood, a low-security federal correctional institution in Colorado. He has been attacked multiple times by other inmates during his incarceration due to the nature of his crimes, which are particularly despised by other prisoners.

Q: Who was Jared Fogle before his arrest?

Fogle was the longtime spokesman for Subway restaurants, famous for his story of losing over 200 pounds by eating Subway sandwiches. He became one of the most recognizable advertising figures in America, appearing in commercials for the company from 2000 to 2015. His association with the brand ended immediately upon his arrest, and Subway severed all ties with him.

Q: How was Jared Fogle caught?

Fogle was caught through an investigation that began with the arrest of Russell Taylor, the executive director of the Jared Foundation, a nonprofit Fogle founded to fight childhood obesity. Taylor was arrested for producing child pornography, and the investigation expanded to Fogle. A journalist named Rochelle Herman-Walrond also provided the FBI with recordings she had secretly made of Fogle over several years, during which he made incriminating statements about his interest in minors.