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. He 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. The judge sentenced him to 188 months (roughly 15 years and 8 months) in federal prison, which was three years longer than prosecutors requested and eight years more than the defense sought. He's currently incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution in Englewood, Colorado, with no chance of release before March 2029.

Summary

Few corporate figures have fallen from grace as dramatically as Jared Fogle. For more than 15 years, he 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 shed over 200 pounds. Americans knew him. He'd become one of the most recognizable advertising pitchmen in the country, held up as an inspirational figure of personal transformation.

But that wholesome public image hid something dark. 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. The situation grew worse. Fogle traveled to New York City and elsewhere to engage in commercial sex acts with minors, and he actively sought to arrange additional encounters with underage girls. Investigators recovered text messages showing Fogle offering to pay a teenage victim if she could find other underage girls for him to have sex with.

The court's sentencing reflected just how serious these crimes were. The sentence exceeded what both prosecutors and sentencing guidelines recommended. The court also ordered Fogle to pay 1.4 million dollars in restitution to his 14 victims, the largest amount ever ordered in a child pornography or sex trafficking case in the Southern District of Indiana's history. He'll be under supervised release for life.

Background

Early Life

Jared Scott Fogle was born on August 23, 1977, in Indianapolis, Indiana. He attended North Central High School in Indianapolis, then enrolled at Indiana University in Bloomington. College years found him significantly overweight, reportedly weighing over 425 pounds at his heaviest.

Weight Loss and Rise to Fame

In the late 1990s, Fogle lost over 200 pounds on a diet he designed himself, one that consisted largely of Subway sandwiches. His story caught the attention of Subway's advertising agency. In 2000, he appeared in his first commercial for the chain. The "Jared Diet" became a marketing sensation, and Fogle turned into one of America's most recognizable advertising spokesmen.

For the next 15 years, he was Subway's public face, 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 would later take on deeply disturbing implications. Wealth followed. Fogle became affluent from his Subway partnership and lived in Zionsville, Indiana, an upscale suburb, with his wife and children.

Connection to Russell Taylor

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

That investigation turned toward Fogle. Investigators discovered that Taylor had shared child pornography with him, and that Fogle had known about Taylor's activities. But there was more. Fogle had his own pattern of seeking commercial sex with minors, conduct entirely separate from his connection to Taylor.

Indictment, Prosecution, and Sentencing

FBI Investigation and Arrest

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

August 19, 2015 brought the charges. Federal prosecutors announced that Fogle faced one count of traveling to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor and one count of distribution and receipt of child pornography. That same day, he pleaded guilty to both counts as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors.

The Crimes

What the evidence revealed was 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 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 payment if she could find other underage girls for him to have sex with. Not an isolated incident. Evidence suggested Fogle had sought and engaged in commercial sex with minors on multiple occasions.

Sentencing

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 roughly five years.

The judge's sentence reflected her 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, the court ordered Fogle to:

• Pay 1,400,000 dollars 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 dollars
• Pay a 175,000 dollar fine
• Submit to supervised release for life following his imprisonment
• Register as a sex offender

At sentencing, several victims addressed the court about how Fogle's crimes had affected them. Fogle apologized to his victims and acknowledged that his actions were inexcusable.

Russell Taylor, Fogle's associate, received a 27-year sentence in federal prison for his role in producing and distributing child pornography.

Prison Experience

Fogle serves 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.

He won't be eligible for release until March 24, 2029, at the earliest, after serving a minimum of 13 years of his sentence. Upon release, he'll 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. But 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. Within a short time, 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. Investigators determined 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 dollars in restitution to 14 victims, or 100,000 dollars 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.