NFL player Travis Kelce is among a group of investors who lost millions of dollars in a Ponzi scheme orchestrated by the co-founder of a Texas-based investment firm, according to federal court records and local news reports. Siddharth Jawahar, 38, was sentenced to 11 years in prison by a federal court in St. Louis, Missouri, and ordered to pay $31.35 million in restitution to his victims, which includes the Kansas City Chiefs player.
Federal Court Sentences Co-Founder Siddharth Jawahar to 11 Years
According to local television station KMOV in St. Louis, prosecutors revealed Travis Kelce’s name during a federal court hearing on Tuesday. Siddharth Jawahar operated Swiftarc Capital, a Texas-based firm where the NFL player had placed funds. While court documents did not publicly specify the exact financial stake contributed by the Kansas City Chiefs player, the case outlines a fraud scheme spanning since 2016.
Federal investigators established that the fraudulent operation began in 2016. Instead of executing legitimate investments across a diversified portfolio, Jawahar funneled the vast majority of incoming capital into a single holding: Philip Morris Pakistan. When the value of that stock plummeted, Jawahar concealed the severe losses from his investors. He continued claiming steady returns while quietly utilizing capital from incoming investors to sustain the illusion.
Misappropriation of Funds and Lavish Spending
Court filings show that Jawahar diverted more than $35 million in total capital collected through Swiftarc Capital between July 2016 and December 2023. Out of that sum, he invested only about $10 million. The remaining funds were systematically funneled into personal luxuries.
According to the federal court evidence, Jawahar spent victim funds on private jets, upscale hotel stays, luxury apartments in Texas and New York, clothing, five-star dining experiences, and exclusive private club memberships. Judicial records also revealed that Jawahar originally arrived in the United States from India and had been residing in the country illegally since 2005.
Financial Repercussions and Restitution Orders
Under the terms of the federal sentence handed down on Tuesday, Jawahar must pay $31.35 million in restitution to cover the losses suffered by Kelce and fellow investors. The sentence marks the formal conclusion of a federal prosecution that exposed how investor funds were systematically diverted away from legitimate market ventures.
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