Travis Kelce identified as victim in $35 million Ponzi scheme

<p>Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, 36, was identified as a victim in a $35 million Ponzi scheme run by Texas fund manager Siddharth Jawahar, 38. This was revealed during a sentencing hearing in a St. Louis federal courtroom.</p><p>Jawahar operated Swiftarc Capital LLC, which collapsed into a federal wire fraud investigation. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Jawahar raised over $35 million from investors between July 2016 and December 2023.</p><p>Instead of managing a diversified portfolio, he allocated approximately 99% of client capital into a single stock, Philip Morris Pakistan. As the value of this investment declined, Jawahar concealed the losses, issued falsified statements, and used funds from new investors to pay earlier clients.</p><p>Federal prosecutors noted that Jawahar actually invested about $10 million of the total funds raised, spending the remainder on personal luxuries such as private jet charters, upscale apartments in Austin and New York, high-end dining, and exclusive private club memberships.</p><p>Court filings did not specify the exact financial loss suffered by Kelce. He was not the only professional athlete affected by the scheme; a 2021 Forbes report linked Swiftarc funds to several NBA players, including Gary Harris, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Mason Plumlee.</p><p>Jawahar pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud in January 2026. U.S. District Judge Zachary M. Bluestone sentenced him to 11 years in federal prison and ordered him to pay $31.35 million in restitution.</p><p>Kelce is currently in his 14th NFL season after signing a contract extension with Kansas City.</p>