How Travis Kelce got robbed twice? First at home, then by a $35 million ponzi scheme

Travis Kelce is used to getting hit on the field. Off it, apparently, he never saw the hits coming. On Tuesday, a federal court in St. Louis revealed that the Kansas City Chiefs tight end was among the victims of Siddharth Jawahar, a 38-year-old Texas-based investment adviser sentenced to 11 years in prison for running a Ponzi scheme that pulled in more than $35 million from investors. Jawahar was also ordered to pay $31.35 million in restitution. For Kelce, this marks the second time in under two years that someone helped themselves to what was his.What was the $35 million Ponzi Scheme Travis Kelce got caught in?Jawahar ran Swiftarc Capital LLC, an investment firm registered in Texas. Starting in 2015, he funneled nearly all client money into a single overseas bet -- Philip Morris Pakistan (PMP). At one point, 99% of investor funds sat inside that one position. When PMP's value fell off a cliff, Jawahar did what fraudsters do: he lied. He told clients their money was growing. Then he used fresh investor cash to pay off the older ones. Court records put the total taken from investors at $35,607,984. Only around $10 million was ever actually invested.A 2021 Forbes article had already flagged that Kelce was an investor in a Swiftarc fund. But the extent of his losses was never disclosed in court. Prosecutors noted a policy of not discussing individual victims in detail. What is known is that between July 2016 and December 2023, Jawahar kept the scheme alive while living well off other people's money -- private jets, luxury apartments in Austin and New York City, private club memberships, Gucci runs, and high-end restaurant tabs. When authorities closed in, he allegedly tried to coach a victim into giving favorable statements to the FBI, lied about his immigration status, and attempted to have his iPhone wiped remotely.U.S. District Judge Zachary Bluestone called the losses "enormous" during sentencing and cited the fraud's length as a key factor in the prison term. One victim told the court that Jawahar had "weaponized" their trust. His attorney told ABC News: "Sid Jawahar is a very good man, who has made some very serious mistakes and is taking ownership of all of it." The FBI and Manhattan District Attorney's Office investigated the case jointly.How did Travis Kelce's home burglary in 2024 compare to this?Before this week's courtroom revelation, Kelce was already dealing with a more physical kind of theft. On October 7, 2024, while the Chiefs were hosting the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football, someone broke through the rear door of his $6 million Leawood, Kansas home. What initially looked like a $20,000 cash grab turned out to be worse -- later reports confirmed that burglars also took roughly $100,000 worth of jewelry and his first Super Bowl jersey.The timing was deliberate. Investigators later determined that a criminal network had been tracking professional athletes using game schedules, hitting homes while players were guaranteed to be away. Kelce's teammate Patrick Mahomes was robbed within 48 hours too. Seven men were eventually charged in connection with a broader spree that hit NFL and NBA players across multiple states.Two separate crimes. Two very different methods. One common thread -- Kelce's name kept showing up on the wrong side of the ledger.His exact financial loss from the Swiftarc scheme remains undisclosed. What is clear is that federal prosecutors thought the connection relevant enough to name him in open court during sentencing. For someone who built a brand around being untouchable on the field, the last two years have shown that wealth doesn't come with a security guarantee -- physical or financial.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.