[2Wycked]

Subway's famous spokesman, Jared Fogle, is under investigation for possessing child pornography:

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ZIONSVILLE — Subway pitchman Jared Fogle was driven away from his Zionsville home by an attorney in a black Lexus Tuesday afternoon in the midst of an hours-long police investigation conducted by federal and state officials.

The Subway chain said it believes the investigation is related to the prior arrest of a former Jared Foundation executive.

Investigators from the FBI, Indiana State Police and Postal Service arrived at Fogle's large, brick home in 4500 block of Woods Edge Drive early Tuesday and parked an evidence truck in the driveway.

In the early hours of the probe, Fogle was seen leaving the truck, and investigators carried electronics and other items out of Fogle's home.

It could not be immediately confirmed why police were at the residence, but the raid comes just two months after 43-year-old Russell Taylor, the executive director of The Jared Foundation, was arrested in Indianapolis on federal child pornography charges.

A detective's affidavit filed in May to obtain search warrants for Taylor's residence details allegation against the former head of Fogle's foundation, including claims he produced and possessed child pornography involving children — both boys and girls — as young as 9 years old.

One item police recovered from Taylor's home office, according to court records, did appear to have a link to Fogle or his foundation. The officers who searched Taylor's home reported recovering a thumb drive that contained multiple videos of child pornography, including what police described as "commercially made child pornography from Eastern Europe similar to that seized on other investigations." The detective leading the probe noted an examination of that thumb drive "revealed a document file with Taylor's employer listed in the file name."

It is unclear, however, if that referred to Fogle or the foundation. It also is not clear from the court document if that specific file contained pornographic images. And federal officials wouldn't comment on either case today.

In response to the investigation, Subway released the following statement Tuesday afternoon:

"We are shocked about the news and believe it is related to a prior investigation of a former Jared Foundation employee. We are very concerned and will be monitoring the situation closely. We don't have any more details at this point."

FBI spokeswoman Wendy Osborne this morning confirmed that the agency was conducting a criminal investigation in Zionsville, but she would not comment on the nature of the probe.

She referred questions to officials from the U.S. attorney's office, who declined to comment, citing a Department of Justice policy that prohibits them from confirming or denying the existence of an investigation.

Indiana State Police also referred questions to the U.S. attorney's office.

Fogle rose to fame in television commercials for the Subway sandwich chain after losing 235 pounds by eating Subway sandwiches and exercising. Fogle was a 425-pound freshman at Indiana University when he embarked on the unusual diet of turkey and veggie subs in 1998.

Fogle founded the Jared Foundation to encourage children to develop habits of healthy eating and exercise.

Two days after he was formally charged, Taylor attempted suicide on May 6 at the Marion County Jail and was placed on life support.

Tim Horty, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office, said Tuesday that Taylor's health is improving and he is in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

He faces seven counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.

Court documents said officers initially searched Taylor's home in the 1300 block of Salem Creek Boulevard on April 29 looking for "evidence of bestiality, including images or videos," but found several digital media cards and thumb drives that included "multiple video files of nude or partially nude minor children."

Over 400 videos of child pornography were found on computers and storage media.

It added many of those images appeared to have been made in bedrooms and bathrooms at Taylor's former and current homes. "Many of these videos showed the exposed genitals or pubic area of the children" – both boys and girls – and that the "minors did not appear to be aware that they were being filmed," according to the court record.

The court documents also said Taylor had an interest in bestiality and shared images with an unnamed person involving a "dog licking the nude genital area of an adult female." Taylor has not been charged with any crimes related to that video or alleged bestiality.

After Taylor's arrest, Fogle issued a statement that said he was "shocked" over the allegations and that the foundation was "severing all ties" with Taylor.

Fogle's home was surrounded by police, media and neighbors during Tuesday's operation. Rain periodically pelted onlookers with small bouts of sunshine breaking in.

The forensic truck parked in the driveway held a handful of investigators who occasionally popped out to enter the home or sip on a water bottle.

Occasionally, residents of the upscale neighborhood stopped on their bikes, or while walking their dogs, to stare and comment that the neighborhood is usually quiet.

At one point, a woman drove by in a minivan and shooed two young girls on bikes away from the scene.

Neighbors said the Fogle family was cordial, but private, as some neighbors who lived nearby said they did not often socialize with the family.

Other residents declined to discuss their neighbors.

Jacob Schrader, 19, came home to his neighborhood Tuesday to find a bevy of police and reporters outside the home he knew to belong to the Subway spokesman.

"He's a private guy," Schrader said.

Schrader said he saw Fogle walking the neighborhood or getting his mail. Other neighbors said Fogle would appear outside from time to time and give a friendly wave.

"This doesn't ever happen in this neighborhood," Schrader said, referring to the influx of media and police.