Prosecutors said he used money from new investors to pay old ones and fund a lifestyle including chartering private jets, luxury apartments and private club memberships.
Travis Kelce was named as a victim of the $61m Ponzi scheme. Photo / Getty Images
The US Department of Justice (DoJ) also revealed Jawahar allocated about 99% of client funds into a single stock, Philip Morris Pakistan, which saw the 38-year-old hide losses by issuing false statements once his position nose-dived.
St Louis-based news outlet KMOV-TV reported prosecutors said in court Kelce was among the victims, while a 2021 Forbes article said the NFL player had invested in a fund created by Jawahar’s company Swiftarc.
Basketball players Tim Hardaway jnr, Gary Harris and Mason Plumlee were also listed by Forbes as investors in the fund in the same article, but it is unclear if they were impacted by the scheme.
Kelce and the Chiefs have started off the 2026 NFL season with a win over the Denver Broncos. photo / Photosport
According to the DoJ and a document obtained by Fox News, Jawahar was an illegal immigrant from India living in the United States for more than 20 years.
Prosecutors said after his indictment, Jawahar attempted to coach a victim into giving a favourable statement to the FBI, sought to have a relative wipe his phone to hide evidence and lied about his immigration status.
Kelce has had a positive start to the 2026 NFL season, hauling in three catches for 71 yards in his side’s opening-week victory over the Denver Broncos.