Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has been identified as one of 64 people who prosecutors say were victims of a multimillion-dollar investment fraud case involving businessman Siddharth Jawahar.
Kelce’s name came up during Jawahar’s sentencing in a federal court in St Louis. The NFL player, who is married to pop star Taylor Swift, has not been accused of participating in the alleged fraud.
Public records and court proceedings have not revealed how much Kelce put into the investment fund or whether he ultimately lost money.
Kelce Had Invested In Jawahar-Linked Fund
Kelce’s connection to Jawahar’s investment business dates back several years. A 2021 Forbes report had identified the football player as an investor in a fund established by Jawahar’s company, Swiftarc.
The investment later became part of a federal fraud case in which prosecutors alleged that Jawahar misrepresented how clients’ money was being used. Kelce is listed among the victims, rather than among those accused of wrongdoing.
Where Investors’ Money Went
Jawahar operated Swiftarc Capital LLC, a Texas-based investment company. According to prosecutors, investors were led to believe that their money would be spread across different businesses and opportunities. Instead, prosecutors said, a large portion of the funds was ultimately put into Philip Morris Pakistan.
That investment later fell in value. Prosecutors alleged that Jawahar did not disclose the losses to investors and instead continued presenting their investments as profitable. The case involved more than $35 million collected from investors between July 2016 and December 2023. Prosecutors said only about $10 million was actually invested.
Money From New Investors Allegedly Used To Cover Earlier Losses
As the losses accumulated, prosecutors said Jawahar used money from people who invested later to make payments to earlier investors. That arrangement, prosecutors alleged, allowed the operation to continue even as the underlying investment had lost value.
Some of the money was also allegedly spent on Jawahar’s personal expenses. Court filings described spending involving private aircraft, luxury hotels, expensive apartments, private clubs, shopping and other high-cost activities.
Investigation Also Led To Additional Allegations
The federal case included allegations concerning Jawahar’s conduct after authorities began investigating the scheme. Prosecutors accused him of attempting to influence a victim’s account of events and of providing false information about his immigration status and financial circumstances.
They also alleged that he asked his sister to remotely erase data from his iPhone, which prosecutors said was an attempt to conceal evidence. According to court records and US media reports, Jawahar had been living in the United States without legal status since 2005.
Jawahar Gets 11 Years In Federal Prison
Jawahar was indicted in December 2023 and later pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud. A federal judge sentenced him to 11 years in prison and ordered him to pay $31.35 million in restitution to those affected by the scheme. The US Attorney’s Office identified 64 victims in the case.
For Kelce, the court proceedings have established his status as one of the investors allegedly deceived by Jawahar, but they do not publicly establish the size of his investment or whether he suffered a financial loss.
His high-profile status has drawn attention to the case, but the allegations against Jawahar remain separate from Kelce, who has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
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