Siddharth Jawahar has been sentenced to 11 years in prison in Missouri for running a massive Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors of over $35 million. The sentence that was handed down also requires the 38-year-old to pay $31.35 million in restitution to those he deceived. According to PEOPLE, Jawahar ran the Texas-based investment firm Swiftarc Capital LLC. Between July 2016 and December 2023, he drew in more than $35 million from investors in Missouri and other locations, though he only invested about $10 million of that total. The Department of Justice noted in a press release that he used money from new investors to pay off older ones, a classic hallmark of a Ponzi scheme. According to the DOJ, Jawahar used the funds “to fuel an extravagant lifestyle that included travel on private jets, stays at luxury hotels, a luxury apartment in Austin and New York City, memberships at multiple private clubs across the country, spending sprees at clothing stores and expensive outings at fancy restaurants.” One of the victims, according to prosecutors in court, is NFL player Travis Kelce. Prosecutors named Kelce as a victim in court The DOJ did not mention him by name. According to First Alert 4, prosecutors briefly named the Kansas City Chiefs player as a victim in court and declined to comment further on his connection to the case. People and First Alert 4 also pointed to a 2021 Forbes article that previously linked Kelce to the Swiftarc Venture Labs Fund, which was created by the firm Jawahar co-founded. Siddharth Jawahar, a Texas-based investment adviser who ran a Ponzi scheme that defrauded Kansas City Chiefs football star Travis Kelce and other investors out of millions of dollars, has been sentenced to 11 years in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the… pic.twitter.com/B2WqXu1CJo— ABC News (@ABC) September 17, 2026 According to the DOJ, Jawahar began putting client funds into Philip Morris Pakistan in 2015. PEOPLE reported that he eventually consolidated 99% of the money into that single stock. When the value of the stock dropped, he hid the losses and kept telling investors that they were actually making a profit. He also misled people by claiming their money was invested in specific companies when, in reality, he never made those investments at all. After his indictment, prosecutors say, Jawahar tried to obstruct justice by pressing a victim to give the FBI a favorable statement, misrepresenting his immigration status and finances, and asking his sister to remotely wipe his iPhone to hide evidence. Court documents note that he is from India and has been in the United States illegally since 2005. According to First Alert 4, prosecutors allege that Jawahar paid a political consulting firm, Axiom Strategies, $10,000 to help coordinate advocacy letters ahead of his sentencing. In a recorded jail phone call, prosecutors say, he discussed with the firm’s CEO, Jeff Roe, getting a positive article written about him to “influence the judge.” Prosecutors say Roe told him he could target the article to the judge’s home, saying he would “put a little money around it and geofence his house and so he’ll see it.” First Alert 4 said it had not heard back from Axiom Strategies. Siddharth Jawahar ran a Texas-based investment company and prosecutors say he carried out a classic Ponzi scheme, using money from new investors to repay older investors and to fuel an extravagant lifestyle. https://t.co/QAMBOmhQZ8— NBC News (@NBCNews) September 18, 2026 The outlet also reported that Missouri Congressman Sam Graves submitted a letter to U.S. District Judge Zachary M. Bluestone on Congressional letterhead, recommending a 48-month sentence for Jawahar. The congressman said he was writing in his personal capacity, and the letter mentioned no personal connection between him and Jawahar. First Alert 4 said it reached out to Graves’ office multiple times but had not heard back. During the hearing, Judge Bluestone called the attempts to influence him a “ludicrous idea.” Per PEOPLE, he also highlighted the “enormous” losses and the fact that Jawahar had not begun paying back any of the victims. The judge echoed a victim’s sentiment that Jawahar “weaponized” the trust of his investors. Interestingly, last year, Elon Musk described Social Security as a Ponzi Scheme. Jawahar pleaded guilty in January to three counts of wire fraud in U.S. District Court in St. Louis. Prosecutors say he is expected to serve his prison sentence before facing potential deportation. His attorney, Doug Passon, said his client was remorseful. The judge handed down an 11-year sentence, followed by three years of supervision.