[Updated] Ex-Subway Rep Jared Fogle To Plead Guilty To Sex With Minors, Child Porn: Feds
By Rachel Cromidas in News on Aug 19, 2015 2:20PM
Spokesman Jared Fogle attends the Los Angeles premiere of Disney-Pixar's 'Inside Out' on June 8, 2015. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
In a first court hearing that lasted just 15 minutes, Fogle was advised of his rights and placed on home detention with GPS monitoring, the Indy Star reports. Following the hearing, his attorney Jeremy Margolis told reporters Fogle will take responsibility for the wrongdoings.
"He knows that restitution can't undo the damage that he's done, but he will do what he can," Margolis said. "Jared Fogle expects to go to prison. He will do his time. He expects to get well. He will try to make amends to the people he affected."
Fogle's wife, Katie Fogle, said in a statement this afternoon that she is "shocked" by the news and is now seeking the dissolution of her marriage:
"Obviously, I am extremely shocked and disappointed by the recent developments involving Jared. I am in the process of seeking a dissolution of the marriage. My focus is exclusively on the well-being of my children. Neither I nor my family will have any further comment on the matter. I appreciate respect for my family’s privacy during this difficult time.”
A representative of the U.S. Attorney's office told reporters that Russell Taylor, the ex-director of Fogle's charitable foundation who was arrested on child pornography charges in April, produced and provided child porn to Fogle.
Documents released Wednesday morning by the U.S. attorney's office in Indiana, where Fogle lives, say the 37-year-old man, who was investigated by the FBI this summer, has been charged with one count of traveling to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, and one count of distribution and receipt of child porn, NBC reports.
As a part of a plea deal, Fogle will be sentenced to between 5 and 12.5 years in prison. He will also pay out $100,000 to each of the 14 minor victims for a total of $1.4 million in restitution, the Indy Star reports.
Fogle served as the face of the Subway sandwich chain for over 15 years after losing over 200 pounds through a self-coined "Subway diet." However, he was stripped of his role by the chain earlier this year when the FBI began investigating him in connection with child pornography crimes. FBI agents searched his Zionsville home on July 7. At the time, Subway said it was suspending its relationship with him entirely pending the investigation.
Federal prosecutors say Fogle paid for sex with minors while staying in upscale hotels in New York City. They also say he was given child pornography secretly made by Russell C. Taylor, who was formerly the director of his charity, The Jared Foundation. Taylor was arrested April 29 on child pornography charges, and Subway representatives said in July that they believed the search of Fogle's home was related to Taylor's case.
In April, Fogle said he was "shocked" by the accusations against Taylor. Fogle fired him and announced that his charity would be severing ties with the former director.
Anticipating his plea deal, yesterday Subway offered a no-comment comment:
We no longer have a relationship with Jared and have no further comment.
— SUBWAY® (@SUBWAY) August 18, 2015