Subway spokesman Jared Fogle, 37, had his Indiana home searched by state and federal law enforcement authorities as part of a child pornography investigation. Armed agents executed a search warrant on the home owned by Jared and the agents were seen removing electronic devices among other items.
Speculation is that this search may have been issued in connection with the arrest of a former director of his charitable foundation on child pornography charges several months ago.
Fogle, who lives in the Indianapolis suburb of Zionsville, became the unlikely spokesman for the Subway sandwich chain in 2000 after reports emerged that the Indiana University freshman had dropped more than 230 pounds on a diet of nothing but Subway sandwiches.
Authorities would not say if the search warrants and subsequent raid on Fogle’s home tied to the arrest of his former associate.
Investigators from the FBI, State Police and Postal Service arrived at Fogle’s home at 6:30 a.m. with an evidence truck that they parked in the driveway of Fogle’s home according to the Indianapolis Star.
The newspaper reported that police took electronics from Fogle’s home and analyzed the items on site using equipment in the truck. Fogle, who was home during the search and was seen entering and leaving the evidence truck, was not available for comment.
FBI spokeswoman Wendy Osborne confirmed that the agency and local police were present during the raid and were conducting a criminal investigation, but declined further comment.
The raid on Fogle’s home came two months after Russell Taylor, the former executive director of the Jared Foundation, a charity Fogle started to raise awareness of and fight childhood obesity, was arrested on federal child pornography charges. Taylor, 43, attempted suicide on May 6 at the Marion County Jail, was placed on life support. Taylor is expected to recover.
In a criminal complaint, Taylor is facing seven counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography – a case that began when a woman Taylor he had been emailing alerted authorities when Taylor offered to show her images of children.
Upon Taylor’s arrest, Fogle issued a statement saying he was “shocked” over the allegations and that the foundation was “severing all ties” with him.
Fogle, who once weighed 425 pounds, has filmed more than 300 commercials for the food chain and kept a busy schedule of speeches and events on the importance of a healthy diet. Early Subway commercials featured Fogle wearing the 62-inch waist pants he wore when he was obese and before he began his diet of turkey and veggie subs from Subway.
Officials at Subway’s Milford, Conn., corporate headquarters did not immediately return requests for comment.
Fogle’s lawyer Ron Elberger said in a statement that:
“Jared has been cooperating, and continues to cooperate, with law enforcement in their investigation of unspecified charges and looks forward to its conclusion…”
