Subway Spokesman Jared Fogle Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison
UPDATE (11/19): Jared Fogle has been sentenced to 15.6 years in prison.
Although Fogle initially agreed to a plea deal proposed by prosecutors in an attempt to see a lighter sentence (ranging from five to 12.5 years in prison), Judge Tanya Walton Pratt was not bound by the agreement.
According to TMZ, Fogle pled guilty and will likely serve only 85% of his time in jail, making him 51 when he’s released, should he serve 13 years. Fogle’s lawyers tried to get him the minimum amount of jail time -- five years -- by making the case that his victims' ages (16 and 17) were close to the legal age of consent. They also brought in an expert who testified that his “mild pedophilia” was due, in part, to his weight loss, claiming he replaced his compulsive eating disorder with hyper-sexuality.
Original story (8/18): Jared Fogle, of Subway sandwich spokesman fame, will reportedly plead guilty to charges of child pornography.
According to FOX59, Fogle will accept a plea deal.
Business Insider reports that the US Attorney’s office will hold a press conference tomorrow (August 19) to discuss the details of the plea deal.
This news follows the explosive story from earlier this year when the FBI raided Fogle’s home in Zionsville, Indiana. The FBI had subpoenaed an affidavit that reportedly contained a slew of text messages between Fogle and a former female Subway franchisee, in which Fogle claims he paid to have sex with a 16-year-old girl.
The Subway worker says she shared the texts with Subway management at the time, but the company ignored her complaints. Subway, meanwhile, maintains that they have no record of her claims.
Business Insider goes on to report that, according to the texts he sent, Fogle asked the woman via text to post a listing on Craigslist to have sex with other men for money, and he wanted to watch her perform sexual acts on them. He reportedly told her she could make upwards of $500 per act.
The woman was reportedly involved in a sexual relationship with Fogle during these text exchanges, but she grew increasingly uncomfortable with him when he insisted she post to Craigslist.
According to the affidavit reportedly obtained by Business Insider, Fogle also asked the woman to set up a "meeting" with her cousin who was underage at the time.
Over a month later, Fogle reportedly asked her to post an ad to Craigslist. She texted him back, writing, “Is this the same website you found that 16 year old girl that you f—ked?…I still can’t believe you only paid $100 for her.”
Fogle allegedly confirmed this, writing, “It was amazing!!!!”
A former journalist also came forward saying that Fogle made disturbing remarks about underage girls to her. WWSB reported, “According to the woman, Jared would often visit schools in Sarasota County, and allegedly told her numerous times that, ‘Middle school girls are hot.’”
Fogle’s attorney, Ron Elgerber, refuted the claims made by the anonymous journalist saying, “the story is a fabrication that lacks credibility."
Subway has since cut ties with Fogle, who was a spokesman for the brand for 15 years, after authorities raided his Indiana home this past July. The raid was prompted after Russell Taylor, the former director of Fogle’s charity, the Jared Foundation, was arrested based on child-pornography charges.