Ponzi schemer who defrauded Travis Kelce tried to avoid deportation

Key Points:

• Siddharth Jawahar, an undocumented Indian immigrant, was sentenced to 11 years in prison for a Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors, including Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, and ordered to repay $31 million in restitution.
• Jawahar sought to marry American citizen Caroline Tredway before sentencing, allegedly to improve his chances of staying in the U.S., but federal prosecutors opposed the request, suspecting it was an attempt to obtain immigration status.
• Court records reveal Jawahar paid $10,000 to a political consulting firm to influence judicial proceedings and sought support from U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, while also attempting to manipulate victims' statements and erase evidence.
• Jawahar operated a Texas-based investment company, Swiftarc Capital LLC, running a Ponzi scheme from 2016 to 2023 that raised over $35 million, investing only about $10 million and using funds to support a lavish lifestyle.
• Besides Kelce, Jawahar attracted high-profile athletes such as NBA players Gary Harris, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Mason Plumlee to invest, though it is unclear if they suffered losses or cooperated with authorities.