Former Franchisee Claims Subway Execs Knew About Jared Fogle in 2008

Subway denies it received any complaints.

On Thursday, former franchisee Cindy Mills told Business Insider that she had warned Subway about former pitchman Jared Fogle criminal sexual misconduct back in 2008 after he began calling her daily and making disturbing comments. "He would just tell me he really liked them young," she says. Fogle and Mills had a sexual relationship, which lead Fogle to disclose disturbing details of his criminal activity in lewd text messages.

"I was worried. I was scared to death."

Mills says she tried to blow the whistle by phoning ad executive Jeff Moody — then CEO of the Subway Franchisee Advertising Fund Trust (SFAFT) — after Fogle had told her that he had sex both in Thailand and the US with child prostitutes between the ages of 9 and 16 years old. According to Mills, Moody stopped her mid-conversation and said, "Don't worry, he has met someone. She is a teacher and he seems to love her very much, and we think she will help keep him grounded." Mills also claims she spoke with two more SFAFT execs after Moody, but ran into more dead ends.

Mills says she chose not report the incidents to police because she feared for her job and believed that Fogle's money and influence would insulate him. "I thought, 'This man has a lot of money. Subway has a lot money. They have made each other a lot of money,'" Mills says. "I was worried. I was scared to death."

Moody denies having a conversation with the former franchisee, according to the Chicago Tribune. He says first learned of Fogle's transgressions involving underage girls this summer and "like any decent human being" was "repulsed." In a statement to Business Insider, Subway also says it didn't received any complaints adding, "Jeff Moody hasn't worked for the brand for years."

Jared Fogle, who no longer has ties to Subway, plead guilty to charges that he had sex with minors and participated in a child pornography ring last week. As part of his plea deal, Fogel must pay $100,000 in restitution to each of his 14 victims and will serve between five and 20 years in prison. Since the announcement, other whistle blowers have come out of the woodwork to share their stories including alleged FBI informant Rochelle Herman who claims she recorded her private conversations with Fogle for four years.

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