Investor sentenced to 11 years for multi-million-dollar Ponzi scheme that victimized NFL star
Siddharth Jawahar received an 11-year prison term and was ordered to pay $31 million in restitution after pleading guilty to running a Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors, including Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
A federal judge sentenced Siddharth Jawahar, 38, to 11 years in prison and ordered him to repay $31 million to victims of a Ponzi scheme that operated from 2016 to 2023. Jawahar, who pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud, ran the Texas-based investment firm Swiftarc Capital LLC and allegedly used new investors’ money to pay earlier investors while financing an expensive lifestyle that included private-jet travel, luxury hotels and private-club memberships. Prosecutors said the scheme raised more than $35 million but only about $10 million was actually invested.
During the sentencing hearing, prosecutors noted that among the scheme’s victims was Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, though no details of his loss were disclosed. Representatives for Kelce did not respond to requests for comment. Jawahar’s attorney declined to discuss the connection, describing his client as “a very good man” who “made some very serious mistakes and is taking ownership of all of it.”
U.S. District Judge Zachary Bluestone cited Jawahar’s failure to begin restitution as a major factor in the sentence. Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo., had asked for a shorter term, citing Jawahar’s participation in educational programs while in custody and his cooperation with authorities.
The court also heard that Jawahar attempted to influence a victim’s statement to investigators and asked his sister to delete data from his iPhone after his indictment.