Between 2000 and 2015, the face of Subway was some seemingly regular guy named Jared Fogle. He inspired many Americans as he lost weight by eating nothing but Subway sandwiches. Because of his success story helped the sandwich chain become one of the first fast-food chains to promote healthy eating.
He traveled the world, promoted Subway, and became a household name. It was a positive story – for Jared, Americans, and health in general. And then − bam – things got dark. Turns out, Jared was a very, very creepy dude. In fact, he was a criminal of the worst sort.
This is the story of Jared Fogle, aka “Subway Jared.”
It Started as a Weight Loss Journey
Back in 1998, when Jared Fogle was a student at Indiana University, he weighed 425 pounds. He was 20 years old and couldn’t even walk across campus. It was around then that Fogle started eating Subway daily. He started by eating two Subway sandwiches every day and started exercising.
Lunch for Fogle was a 6-inch turkey sub, a bag of baked chips and a can of Diet Coke. For dinner, he ate a foot-long veggie sub and another Diet Coke. Why Subway? Well, it was basically a matter of convenience. “I lived 10 steps away from a Subway restaurant,” he told Men’s Health.
First Men’s Health, Then Subway Took Notice
Nearly a year later, he had lost 245 pounds — over half his body weight. Fogle was clearly on to something, and people were noticing. A friend in Fogle’s dorm decided to write a piece about him, ending on the student newspaper’s front page in April 1999.
It wasn’t just students on campus who took note; Men’s Health picked up the story, too, and included it in their November 1999 article titled Stupid Diets That Work. Soon enough, Subway took notice. Execs at Subway saw the Men’s Health article and wrote to company headquarters about this Fogle guy.
“Subway Jared” Becomes a National Celebrity
The company then offered Fogle a deal in which they focused an ad campaign on his personal experience. By 2000, Fogle was appearing in Subway commercials. With such an average Joe quality to him, Fogle quickly appealed to many Americans, and a domino effect began.
By 2001, Subway showcased other success stories of people who lost weight while eating the famous sandwiches. Before long, Fogle was showing up around the country, appearing as the grand marshal at a Subway-sponsored NASCAR race, carrying the 2002 Olympic torch from Indiana to Salt Lake City, and performing a coin toss at the 2003 Fiesta Bowl.
Let the Parodies Begin
Of course, with his newfound celebrity came parodies. You might remember the Jimmy Fallon skit on Saturday Night Live where he played Fogle in a parody commercial. That was in 2001, and the following year South Park took a swing, making Fogle the focus of an episode. Fogle was actually flattered.
“It was very flattering to see that they took a complete half hour talking about me,” he told the Washington Post. “You know you’ve made it when shows like ‘South Park’ start parodying you.” A year after that, in Austin Powers: Goldmember, Fogle was referenced when the Fat Bastard character loses weight thanks to the “Subway diet.”
Showing Off His “Fat Jeans”
For a decade and a half, Subway promoted their main man, mixing Fogle in multiple commercials with famous people and other individuals who also lost weight thanks to Subway. Fogle showed off his “fat jeans” –the ones with a 60-inch waistband – that he used to wear before he lost the weight.
Fogle was important to Subway’s marketing. After Fogle’s commercials stopped airing for a brief period in 2005, sales fell 10%. Fogle started the Jared Foundation in 2004 to fight childhood obesity and published a book, Jared, the Subway Guy: Winning Through Losing, in 2006.
From Marathon to Superbowl
Even after gaining 40 pounds by 2010, Subway stuck with him. They chose to use the setback as part of their marketing strategy. The new focus was getting back in shape, with Fogle training to run the New York City Marathon.
He accomplished the feat in 5 hours, 13 minutes and 28 seconds, vowing in 2012, to “never do it again.” Fogle earned an estimated $15 million appearing in all of Subway’s campaigns. Come 2015, and it was the 15-year anniversary of his weight loss. Subway aired a commercial about it during the Super Bowl. Then, all of a sudden, the scandal hit…
Fogle Gets Investigated, Subway Drops Him
In July of 2015, news hit that Fogle’s long run with Subway had come to a halt. He was being investigated for child pornography charges. The FBI raided his home in Zionsville, Indiana, seizing documents and electronics. Two months prior, a former Jared Foundation executive was arrested for making and possessing child pornography.
Subway announced that the company was “shocked about the news” and stated their intention to remove Fogle’s presence from the company website. Hours later, Subway and Foglem “have mutually agreed to suspend their relationship.”
He Pleads Guilty to All Charges
In August 2015, Fogle found himself facing federal charges of being repeatedly paid to engage in sexually explicit acts with children. He would also receive and distribute child pornography. The 37-year-old father of two pled guilty to all charges and was sentenced to 15 years.
He also had to pay $1.4 million to 14 victims in compensation for counseling, support, treatment, or other assistance. It was revealed that Fogle used websites to solicit commercial sex and that he even traveled to engage in such acts with minors between 2007 and 2015.
His Wife Divorces Him
His associate, Russell Taylor, was arrested before him. Taylor, who served as executive director of Fogle’s charity, sent Fogle pornographic images of children as young as six. “Today, Jared Fogle has been charged and has admitted to participating in a five-year criminal scheme to exploit children,” Attorney Josh Minkler announced at the time.
Fogle’s wife, Katie Fogle, said at the time that she was “extremely shocked and disappointed” by the allegations made against her husband. She also added that she started a process of “seeking a dissolution of the marriage.”
His Ex-Wife Sues Subway for Turning a Blind Eye
Once divorced, she changed her name back to Katie McLaughlin and sued Subway for damages. According to Fogle’s ex-wife, Subway knew of their spokesman’s pedophilia as early as 2004 and the company did nothing to stop it.
The lawsuit claimed that Subway saw at least three reports on Fogle’s sexual misconduct. Not only did they not alert the authorities, but they also continued to have Fogle promote their brand at elementary schools, no less. McLaughlin was essentially accusing Subway of negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and invasion of privacy – because the company used images of McLaughlin and her kids in campaigns without her approval.
The Secret Subway Conversations
In 2008, one Subway franchisee, Cindy Mills, called the company’s CEO to tell him what Fogle had told her. Mills reported that Fogle said that “he really liked them young,” and that he had sex with children between nine and 12. The CEO, Jeff Moody, allegedly interrupted her…
“Please don’t tell me anymore. Don’t worry, he has met someone.” He went on: “She is a teacher, and he seems to love her very much, and we think she will keep him grounded.” Other secret conversations were revealed as well…
The Secretly Recorded Tapes
Former radio host Rochelle Herman first heard Fogle’s lewd comments about young girls during a health event at a school in Florida in 2007. Herman was covering the event for a local radio station when Fogle said something random and unforgettable.
She was so disturbed she felt the need to do something. And so, she recorded conversations with him. “He told me that he thought middle school girls were so hot,” Herman revealed. “I was in shock. … I looked over at my cameraman … and he was just astounded.”
The FBI Told Her to Wear a Wire
Herman saw Fogle several times over the years, and she said his comments grew even more shameless. “He talked about sex with underage children,” she asserted. “It was just something that he really, really enjoyed.”
Herman notified law enforcement, which is when the FBI asked her to wear a wire. They needed to hear her conversations with Fogle. For years, she worked undercover to gather evidence against Fogle. But why was Fogle even telling her all this stuff? “He trusted me for unknown reasons,” Herman told CNN.
She Had to “Play a Role” in Their Deplorable Conversations
With time, Fogle got so comfortable with Herman that he started including her children in their conversations. Herman had two young kids at the time, “and he talked to me about installing hidden cameras in their rooms and asked me if I would choose which child I would like him to watch.”
As disgusting as it sounds, she had to “play along.” Her focus was to gather enough evidence to put him behind bars. “I had to play a certain part in order for Jared to be able to trust me and talk further into detail,” she said.
The Tapes Were Part of the Federal Investigation
Herman’s information eventually became part of the federal investigation into Fogle (and his associate, Taylor, who began working for him in 2009). According to prosecutors, Fogle was inquiring about sex with minors before Taylor began producing child pornography in his home.
Prosecutors claimed that at least 12 children were victimized in the Fogle-Taylor scheme. Many of them were secretly recorded while changing and showering in Taylor’s home. Fogle knew the victims were under 18 and even knew their names, addresses, and socialized with them at events in Indiana.
Shame and Remorse
He traveled interstate to pay minors for sex, and there were at least 400 videos made and distributed. Fogle addressed the court after his sentencing: “I owe a huge apology to the people who supported me and my positive messages the last 15 years.”
According to psychologist Dr. Rick May, who works with registered sex offenders, Fogle showed remorse and shame over his relations with minors. Forensic psychiatrist Dr. John Bradford found that Fogle displayed evidence of hypersexuality. “When he lost weight, it seemed that in a short period of time he developed compulsive sexuality,” Bradford stated.
He Had a Pattern of Recruitment
Fogle had a pattern: he would find adult escorts on the Internet, develop relationships with them, and give them a finder’s fee to find him minors for him to have “commercial sex” with. In court, some of the incriminating online conversations were revealed.
When asked if he would also pay the escort, Fogle replied, “I can pay you a little finder’s fee. I’ll pay you big for a 14- or 15-year-old.” In another conversation, Fogle was asked what kind of finder’s fee he offered.
What Did Inmates Think Would Happen to Him?
“Depends, on, if they can prove their age. If they can and you get me 16 or below, I’ll give you 400 at least,” Fogle replied. Fogle seemed to specifically like 14- to 16-year-olds and when asked why, he replied once, “Cause it’s what I crave! … I would hook you up nicely if you did.”
Considering the nature of his crimes, Vice decided to ask prison inmates what they think would happen to Fogle behind bars, specifically, how he would be treated by other inmates. Apparently, Fogle is what is known in prison lingo as “chomo” (as in “child molester”).
The Lowest of the Low
In prison, being a chomo is the lowest of the low and they tend to ‘get what’s coming for them” so to speak. Every system has a hierarchy, prisons included, and having chomos around allows other prisoners to ostracize them and make themselves feel more human.
Pedophiles and those charged with sex crimes against minors are almost all detested in prison systems, generally worldwide. But, as Vice pointed out, the federal system has been improving conditions for such outsider inmates. The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is nothing like it was back in the 1990s.
Fogle Had No Chance
“Child molesters have minimal rights in federal prison,” Steve, an ex-con, told VICE. Inmates often keep chomos from watching television. “They give them a very small amount of space on the recreation yard or in the chow hall; they’re not allowed to go in certain areas or be around certain functions.”
Speaking about Fogle specifically, Steve said he’s “not going to even have the opportunity to leave his cell or cubicle without being harassed and threatened. His best bet is to do his time in segregation where no one can get to him.”
He’ll Be Hurt… Or Worse
Before Fogle got sent to prison, other inmates made their predictions. “As far as the Subway guy goes, if he is sent to any USP [United States Penitentiary] other than Tucson, then he will be hurt or worse once he lands in there,” a current prisoner told VICE.
But the same prisoner pointed out that things have changed for chomos in recent years. Sadly, there are so many of them that they make certain prisons – in Arizona and Florida, for example – just for them. According to this source, other inmates are told, “If you put your hands on one, then you are getting ten more years.”
Fogle Gets Beat Up in Prison
So, how has Fogle fared in prison over the last seven years? Well, it turns out those inmate predications were correct – Fogle did get a beating in prison. It was reported in January 2016, soon after he entered prison, that he was assaulted.
Fogle was reportedly left “with a bloody nose, swollen face, and scratches on his neck.” He was attacked by a fellow inmate at Colorado’s Englewood prison. It surprised no one. But get this: the inmate who jumped him was a 60-year-old man.
Jumped by a 60-Year-Old Inmate
Inmate Steven Nigg, in prison on weapons charges, attacked Fogle and it was said to hardly have been a fight. Apparently, the sandwich mascot was told – wisely so – not to fight back. Nigg walked away with only “a small cut on his left hand.”
TMZ spoke to Nigg’s family, who were not surprised to hear about the incident. Nigg was supposedly pissed off that the prison is a hotbed of sex offenders. He reportedly said he did it for the families of those abused by Fogle.
He’s Serving Sandwiches in Prison
As cynical as it may sound, hearing that Fogle is serving sandwiches in prison is almost too good to be true. As most prisoners do, Fogle is working in prison. He’s reportedly been paying his dues in the correctional officers’ cafeteria.
Since it’s the guards getting served, Fogle is handing them steaks, so this may even be something of a promotion. He was previously assigned to the inmate cafeteria in Englewood’s prison, where his main duty was to serve sandwiches. According to TMZ, prison officials were “giggling over the irony.”
He’s Put on Weight
Fogle’s promotion came after he was beat up by Nigg in January 2016. Still, other inmates thought he was getting it easy with his prison sandwich gig. Either way, Fogle has been packing on the pounds behind bars.
Reports say that he put on 30 lbs. in his first three months, mostly due to depression. Apparently, though, he’s not eating typical prison food. Mushy potatoes and cold beans aren’t what Fogle is being served. “Jared’s breakfast is usually Frosted Flakes with fruit or oatmeal with cake,” a source told Touch Weekly.
He Loves Cake Day in Prison
The source revealed that Fogle loves “cake day” in the dining hall, which occurs twice a week, and that he buys Honey Buns by the box, as well as other pastries on his weekly shopping day. Old habits die hard, I guess, as he’s been seen eating an entire box of eight at one sitting.
Another interview with an ex-inmate named Marc Brooks, who served time in Englewood alongside Fogle, revealed what life is like inside. “He’s living the life in there,” Brooks told DailyMail. “He’s eating good, working out, cooking… not a care in the world.”
Fancy Foods and Doing Crafts
Brooks also said that Fogle spends his time watching movies, “eating fancy foods,” and making crafts. Prison doesn’t sound like such a horrible place… But Englewood is a low-security prison known for having relatively nice facilities.
One lawyer stated that the prison is “a good draw,” in comparison to other cases. Getting sent to Englewood is like winning “the inmate lottery.” According to the prison’s admissions handbook (who knew there was such a thing?) there are religious services, arts and crafts, a hobby shop, a gym, and a library with books and movies.
Fogle Breaks His Silence
It’s been years, really, since we’ve heard from Fogle himself. Most of the talking has been done by fellow inmates. But in January 2022, the disgraced face of Subway spoke out, breaking a six-year-long silence. He wrote a letter from prison, showing his remorse.
His letter even cited a quote from The Shawshank Redemption and gave us a glimpse of what his daily routine is like. First things first: his (sort-of) apology. “I really royally screwed up to wind up where I am,” he wrote in the letter dated November 7, 2021.
44, Selfish, and Entitled
It’s the first time he addressed the public since his incarceration. The Post, which in 2015 famously declared “Enjoy a foot long in jail,” was the publication to report Fogle’s penned prison letter. “I was selfish and entitled,” the 44-year-old wrote.
He also noted how inspired he was by a line from The Shawshank Redemption. He wrote: “Something like, ‘You can either get busy living or get busy dying’ when you are sent to prison. I’ve done everything I can to get busy living and make the most of this unwanted experience.”
A Pattern of Criminal Behavior
One of the prosecutors in Fogle’s trial, Steven DeBrota, told The Post that Fogle’s “unwanted experience” didn’t result from “a single mistake or bad decision — it was the result of a long-standing and persistent pattern of criminal behavior.”
Yet here’s Fogle, writing about how he thinks “about all the people I’ve let down every single day, especially my family.” His kids are now 11 and 9, but they’re obviously living with his ex-wife, and it’s unclear if he has any contact with them.
Bragging About His Physical and Mental Health
Despite what we’ve heard, Fogle says he’s on a prison diet: “I try to avoid too much junk food. I snack on granola bars and protein bars. I feel really good physically and mentally.” He’s also supposedly lost some of the weight he initially gained.
He wrote that he’s currently in top shape thanks to his “rigorous fitness” regimen. He detailed his four-to-five mile run that he does every day and seemed to be bragging about how he’s in “the most healthy and in shape” that he’s ever been. (Good for him…?)
No, He’s Not Studying Culinary Arts
Fogle also mentioned how they – the prisoners – don’t have a lot of control over their daily lives there but working out is one of thing he can control. “I currently weigh 180 pounds,” he stated. It looks like Fogle has been reading the news, as he debunked what another inmate said about him.
Fogle wrote that what his fellow prisoner said about him studying culinary arts in prison is “wrong,” explaining that Covid protocols have limited the programming offered at Englewood. In other words, he would if he could.
Don’t Worry Folks…
In December 2020, there was a Covid outbreak in the prison and more than half of all the inmates got sick. But he wasn’t too bored – he watched college and NFL football, “which makes the weekends fly by.”
He also reads “all kinds of books, especially historical fiction.” Oh, and he still loves “to laugh and smile,” folks (in case you were worried). Fogle felt the need to detail all the things he misses in prison, like walking barefoot on carpet, sleeping on a nice mattress, or eating with real silverware.
When Does Jared Fogle Get Out?
Not having a microwave is apparently another thing he misses sorely (boo hoo). “All I can do is learn from my mistakes to be a better man when I get released in a few years,” he continued to write. He’s been going through a repetitive process of trying to reduce his sentence.
But he stipulated in his letter that he’s being forced to serve at least 85 percent of his sentence. That means that the earliest he can potentially walk out of prison is in March of 2029.
He’s Looking Forward to It
And, of course, he will have to register as a sex offender. Whether anyone wants him back on the streets or not, he said, “I very much look forward to re-starting my life and enjoying every moment with my family who have stood by and supported me,” he wrote. “I’m so lucky to have them.”
Meanwhile, other news has been reported in 2022 that it wasn’t just Russell Taylor, Fogle’s former assistant, who was in on the child pornography ring. His wife was found guilty, too. The now divorced couple from Indiana are being sent to prison for decades.
Husband and Wife Sent to Prison
Angela Baldwin, 40, was sentenced to 33 years and four months in prison. Taylor was given less: 27 years. A jury convicted Baldwin of producing child sexual abuse material, conspiracy to produce such material, and possessing it.
All their victims were aged 9 to 16 (some were even relatives of theirs) when the crimes occurred. Taylor pleaded guilty for his acts against nine children, which might explain the lesser sentence−that and the fact that he was the one who provided evidence against Fogle, his former boss and close friend.
A Mutual “Interest”
Taylor was initially sentenced in 2015, but in 2020 it was found that he received “ineffective legal assistance” when his lawyer failed to challenge three criminal charges with no factual basis. They asked for 19 years while prosecutors sought 35.
Before getting handed the 27-year sentence, the court heard Taylor’s description of the four-year grooming process, the exploitation and the molestation that occurred between 2011 and 2015. He also called it a “mutual perversion” between him, his then wife, and Fogle.
Victim Statements
Taylor, like Fogle, has expressed remorse over his actions, admitting that he was a “vile, selfish, self-loathing, sorry excuse” for a human. He also says that time in prison has already changed him. He’s been taking advantage of a sex offender rehabilitation class offered in his prison.
Prosecutor Kathryn Olivier read statements in court, during Taylor’s sentencing trial, from some of the victims. These young victims said they’re going to need mental and medical health help for the rest of their lives. One victim confessed to checking for cameras anytime she’s in a bathroom.
A Psychologically Abusive Relationship
It was said that Fogle had a “psychologically abusive relationship” with Taylor. Supposedly, Fogle would refer to himself as Taylor’s “daddy.” He was claimed to have had a “controlling influence” over Taylor and would remind him frequently that “daddy” is paying for his employment and home.
It was also indicated that Taylor, now 44, had been sexually assaulted on a regular basis when he was young – by both his neighbor and the neighbor’s son. Taylor said he “suffers from a history of mental illness that likely dates back to the trauma he suffered as a child.”