Travis Kelce named among victims of $35m Ponzi scheme as operator gets 11 years

Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce has been identified as one of dozens of victims of a multimillion-dollar Ponzi scheme operated through Texas-based investment company Swiftarc Capital LLC.

Siddharth Jawahar, 38, was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to three counts of wire fraud.

US prosecutors said Jawahar received more than $35 million from investors between 2016 and 2023 but invested only about $10 million of the money.

Instead, prosecutors said he used funds from newer investors to repay earlier clients while spending part of the money on an expensive lifestyle that included private jet travel, luxury hotels, upscale apartments, clothing and private clubs.

Kelce, one of the National Football League’s most prominent players, was identified among 64 victims of the scheme.

Authorities have not publicly disclosed how much Kelce invested or how much money he lost.

Jawahar’s company initially made investments on behalf of clients, but prosecutors said the firm eventually concentrated almost all client funds in shares of Philip Morris Pakistan.

When that investment declined, Jawahar allegedly concealed the losses and continued telling investors their money was producing profits.

He pleaded guilty in January 2026 to three counts of wire fraud.

US District Judge Zachary Bluestone also ordered him to pay approximately $31.35 million in restitution to victims.

Federal prosecutors said Jawahar had been living in the United States without lawful immigration status, although the criminal case centred on the investment fraud and related conduct.