Siddharth Jawahar, the founder of Texas-based investment firm Swiftarc Capital LLC, was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison on Tuesday for orchestrating a Ponzi scheme that defrauded 64 investors, including Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. U.S. District Judge Zachary Bluestone also ordered Jawahar to pay $31.35 million in restitution to the victims.

According to prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri, Jawahar collected more than $35 million from investors between July 2016 and December 2023. However, only approximately $10 million of that sum was actually invested as promised. The remainder was used to pay returns to earlier investors and to finance Jawahar’s lavish lifestyle, which included luxury apartments in New York City and Austin, Texas, private jet travel, and costly entertainment.

Prosecutors revealed that Kelce was among those defrauded but did not provide additional details about his involvement. A 2021 Forbes article had previously reported Kelce’s investment in a fund managed by Swiftarc Capital. Robert Patrick, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, confirmed the total number of victims but declined to elaborate on Kelce’s role. Kelce’s representatives did not respond to requests for comment.

Jawahar, 38, originally from India, has reportedly lived in the United States without legal status since 2005. He was indicted by a grand jury in 2023 and subsequently pleaded guilty in January to three counts of wire fraud. Court documents detail attempts by Jawahar to obstruct the investigation, including coaching a victim to provide a favorable statement to the FBI, lying about his immigration status, and instructing a relative to remotely erase data from his iPhone to conceal evidence.

Jawahar’s attorney did not respond to requests for comment. The case highlights continuing challenges in regulating investment schemes and protecting investors from fraudulent activities.