Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce identified as victim in $35 million fraud case
Prosecutors said NFL player Travis Kelce was a victim of a multi-million-dollar Ponzi scheme run by Siddharth Jawahar, who was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
A Missouri federal court sentenced Siddharth Jawahar, 38, to 11 years in prison for operating a Ponzi scheme that misappropriated more than $35 million from investors. Jawahar pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud and was ordered to pay over $31 million in restitution.
Prosecutors identified Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce as one of the scheme’s victims, noting his brief mention in court but providing no further details on his involvement. Kelce had invested in the Swiftarc Venture Labs Fund, an investment vehicle created by Swiftarc Capital LLC, a company co-founded by Jawahar.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Jawahar diverted the majority of investor funds for personal use and to repay earlier investors, while only a fraction was placed in legitimate investments. The court documents described his use of new capital to sustain the fraud and fund personal expenses.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and Kelce’s representatives were contacted for comment but did not respond.