Report: Jared Fogle's alleged texts subpoenaed by FBI

In this photo provided by Subway, Jared Fogle (L), signs a copy of his new book "Jared, The Subway Guy" for Alex Moser (C) and Gigi Garmendia (R) outside a Subway Restaurant in Rockefeller Center, New York City, August 21, 2006. REUTERS/Subway/Ray Stubblebine/HO

Less than a month after federal agents raided Jared Fogle’s Indiana home, a series of lewd text messages allegedly sent by the former Subway spokesperson have reportedly been subpoenaed by the FBI.

According to Business Insider, the alleged texts—containing references to Craigslist solicitations and paid sex with a 16-year-old—come from conversations between Fogle and a former Subway franchisee with whom he’d reportedly been romantically involved in 2008.

Increasingly uncomfortable with Fogle’s messages, Business Insider says the woman consulted a lawyer who advised that she have the conversations extracted from her phone by a court reporter and verified by a notary public.

The woman’s lawyer, under the condition of anonymity, reportedly told Business Insider that the woman told her superiors at Subway about the messages but, the lawyer said, no action was taken.

Business Insider—the sole source of this latest development in Subway’s scandalous saga—says it has independently confirmed the affidavit’s validity as well as the phone number’s registration under the name Jared Fogle. The report also notes, however, that Subway has claimed to have no record of this woman’s alleged complaint, and that the FBI has neither confirmed nor denied whether the messages were subpoenaed.

More than 15 years ago, Subway first introduced the world to Jared: the Indiana man who lost more than 200 pounds eating nothing but Subway sandwiches. Fogle would go on to become the face of Subway’s longest-running ad campaign, amassing a reported net worth of $15 million from the gig before it came to a screeching halt last month.  The sandwich chain suspended its relationship with the longtime spokesman following a highly-publicised raid on Fogle’s house, which was reportedly linked to a child pornography investigation. Months earlier, the former executive director of Fogle’s charitable foundation was arrested on federal child pornography charges.

So far, the raid at Fogles has yet to result in any charges or arrest. Fogle himself has stayed silent since, yielding to lawyer, Ron Elberger, who stated shortly after the raid that "Jared has been cooperating, and continues to cooperate, with law enforcement in their investigation of unspecified charges, and looks forward to its conclusion."

Elberger also shot down another scathing report that surfaced in the raid’s wake.

An unnamed former journalist reportedly told ABC’s Florida affiliate WWSB that she’d spoken to Fogle several times over the past 10 years—the Subway spokeman would visit local schools while in town for events like the American Heart Association Walk—and that he made numerous inappropriate comments such as “middle school girls are hot.” Disturbed by Fogle’s alleged remarks, the woman said she brought her concerns to the FBI and was reportedly instructed to wear a wire and record her phone conversations with Fogle.

WWSB said that Elberger dismissed the woman’s claims, calling her story “an unrealistic fabrication.”

The alleged text messages cited in the latest report echo similar themes, with Fogle allegedly asking the woman set up a meeting between him and her underaged cousin, and encouraging her to post a personal ad on Craigslist.

"Is this the same website you found that 16 year old girl you that you f*****?” the woman allegedly wrote, in response to one of Fogle’s alleged Craigslist bids. “I still can't believe you only paid $100 for her."

“It was amazing!!!!” read Fogle's alleged answer.

According to Business Insider, Elberger, “who has been quick to respond to questions in the past,” did not answer requests for comment on the text message report.