NFL star Travis Kelce identified as victim in St. Louis Ponzi fraud case
Prosecutors listed Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce among more than 60 victims in a Ponzi scheme that led to the defendant's conviction and an 11-year prison sentence.
A St. Louis federal court case involving a multi-million-dollar Ponzi scheme named Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce as one of at least 64 victims, according to a local investigative reporter who attended the hearing. Kelce's involvement was noted in victim-impact statements that remain sealed, and his name does not appear in the public indictment or judgment.
The scheme centered on a fund created by Swiftarc founder Siddarth Jawahar, who solicited investments from athletes and other individuals. A 2021 Forbes report listed Kelce, along with basketball players Tim Hardaway Jr., Gary Harris and Mason Plumlee, as investors in the fund. Jawahar was later charged with taking tens of millions of dollars from investors and using new investors' money to repay earlier ones, while also spending a portion on personal expenses.
Jawahar pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Zachary M. Bluestone sentenced him to 11 years in prison and ordered restitution of $31.35 million to the victims.