Report: Subway pitchman to admit to child-porn charges

The report on WXIN-TV Channel 59 comes six weeks after authorities seized electronics and other items from Fogle's home in Zionsville.

Citing sources it did not identify, Fox 59 said Fogle would enter a plea Wednesday. It also said the U.S. Attorney's Office in Indianapolis planned to hold a news conference Wednesday.

The 37-year-old Fogle became a Subway pitchman more than 15 years ago after shedding more than 200 pounds as a college student, in part by eating the chain's sandwiches.

Subway suspended its relationship with Fogle after the raid. The chain had been in the middle of rebranding Fogle as a family man before the investigation.

The raid on Fogle's home followed an investigation into Russell Taylor, former executive director the Jared Foundation, an Indianapolis-based not-for-profit founded by Fogle to raise awareness about childhood obesity. In late April, the 43-year-old Taylor was arrested and eventually charged with seven counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.

Taylor spent seven years leading the Jared Foundation. Investigators said hundreds of videos with images of child pornography were found in Taylor’s home.

Fogle issued a written statement after the arrest, saying he was shocked by the allegations and was severing all ties with Taylor.

Subway declined to comment Tuesday, saying only that the chain had "already ended our relationship with Jared."

Ron Elberger, an Indianapolis attorney who represents Fogle, said Tuesday via email that he had no comment on the reports.

Tim Horty, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Indianapolis, said he could not comment on the report.

Fogle's history with Subway reaches back to when he was a student at Indiana University. The college paper published a story on his weight loss that was then picked up by national media.

Soon after, Subway's advertising agency reached out to Fogle and asked if he wanted to be in a TV commercial. The ensuing ad campaign resonated in part because Fogle seemed like such a regular guy, which made weight loss seem simple and achievable.

Of course, Fogle was not the only reason for Subway's growth. Its $5 footlong deals were popular with people looking to save money, and many customers liked that they could have their sandwiches made to order.

Still, Fogle was instrumental in Subway's success over the years.

In 2013, Subway celebrated the 15-year anniversary of Fogle's famous diet by featuring him in a Super Bowl ad and making him available to news organizations for interviews. At the time, Fogle said he still traveled regularly on behalf of Subway. He also said he had a Subway "black card" that let him eat at the chain for free.

The company, based in Milford, Connecticut, has declined to provide details on its financial arrangements with Fogle.

In 1999, the year before Fogle appeared in his first Subway commercial, Subway had about 14,000 stores worldwide, according to Technomic. As of last year, that figure had tripled to about 43,000, making Subway the world's largest restaurant chain by locations.

More recently, Subway has run into challenges. The chain has been trying to keep up with changing attitudes about health and announced in June that it would remove artificial ingredients and colors from its North America menus by 2017. Subway is also facing more competition from rivals such as Firehouse Subs.

Last year, average sales for Subway stores in the U.S. declined 3 percent from the previous year, Technomic said.

The company is privately held and does not release financial information.