Jared Fogle Released from Prison Due to Overcrowding-Fiction!
Summary of eRumor:
Former Subway spokesperson Jared Fogle has been released from prison and will serve the remainder of his sentence for child molestation and possession of child pornography from home due to overcrowding.
The Truth:
False reports that Jared Fogle has been released from prison due to overcrowding have come from fake news websites.
Former Subway spokesperson Jared Fogle was sentenced in November 2015 to serve 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges of child pornography and crossing state lines to pay for six with minors.
Shortly after Jared Fogle’s sentence, the fake news website The News Nerd reported that Fogle had been released and would serve the remainder of his sentence from home:
Due to prison overcrowding, Jared Fogle, who recently stuck a deal to serve between five and 12 and a half years in prison for child molestation and possession of child pornography, has been released from federal custody and will serve the remainder of his time on house arrest.
Federal authorities stated that it is not uncommon for non-violent offenders to be given the option to serve their sentences on house arrest. Joseph Rory, a representative for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, stated, “Mr. Fogle’s case was considered carefully and it was determined that he is not a threat to society and was eligible to serve his time outside of Federal custody. His movements will be closely monitored, and he will not be allowed outside of his home for more than 1 hour per day. All efforts have been made to keep the public safe. Unfortunately, our prisons are operating at nearly 200% over capacity, and it has become impossible to continue to stuff more inmates into buildings that are coming apart at the seams.”
The false report wasn’t widely shared, but when the story was re-published word-for-word in May 2016, it was quickly shared more than 50,000 times on social media sites. That story, which appeared at News 2 Atlanta, one of many fake news websites designed to look like a local television news station, appeared under the headline, “Jared Fogle Released from Prison Due to Overcrowding.”
So, reports that Jared Fogle has been released because of overcrowding are false.