Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce was identified as one of at least 64 victims in a multi-million dollar Ponzi scheme, according to reports from a St. Louis federal courtroom.
A Missouri prosecutor mentioned Kelce’s name during the sentencing of 38-year-old Siddharth Jawahar, though the prosecutor offered no further comment. While Kelce was named in court, his name does not appear in the case’s judgment or indictment, and victim impact statements remain sealed. It has not been disclosed how much Kelce invested or when the investment was made.
Sentencing and Restitution
Jawahar, who pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud in January, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Zachary M. Bluestone to 11 years in prison. The sentence includes three years of supervision. Jawahar is currently held in Ste. Genevieve County jail.
The court ordered Jawahar to pay $31.35 million in restitution to his victims. This follows a request for leniency from Missouri Congressman Sam Graves (R), who wrote to the judge suggesting a four-year sentence, though the judge did not follow that recommendation.
The Swiftarc Capital Fraud
Jawahar operated a Texas-based investment company called Swiftarc Capital LLC, which began accepting money from investors in 2015. According to a news release from the US attorney’s office for the eastern district of Missouri, Jawahar received more than $35 million but invested only about $10 million between July 2016 and December 2023.
Prosecutors stated that Jawahar placed all accepted funds into a single investment. When that investment dropped in value, Jawahar did not notify his investors; instead, he told them they were making money and used funds from new investors to pay off earlier ones.
The remaining money was used to fund what prosecutors described as an extravagant lifestyle, which included luxury hotel stays, expensive dining, private club memberships, and flights on private planes.
Other professional athletes were previously linked to the Swiftarc Ventures Labs Fund. A 2021 Forbes article identified NBA players Mason Plumlee, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Gary Harris as investors. It was not immediately clear if those players were also listed as victims in the fraud case.
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