Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce was identified as a victim of a multimillion-dollar investment fraud scheme during a federal court proceeding in St. Louis.
Kelce was briefly named in court as a victim in the case against Sid Jawahar, who pleaded guilty in January to federal wire fraud charges related to an investment scheme that prosecutors said cost victims more than $25 million. A judge sentenced Jawahar on Tuesday to 11 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, according to KCTV.
Prosecutors provided few details about Kelce or the extent of his connection to the case. They declined to discuss individual victims after the hearing. The Chiefs were contacted for comment but had not responded.
However, a 2021 Forbes article reported that Kelce was an investor in a fund created by Swiftarc, a company Jawahar co-founded.
Travis Kelce’s Name Emerges as Prosecutors Detail $25 Million Scheme
Federal prosecutors accused Jawahar of using funds obtained from newer investors to pay previous investors while also financing expensive personal spending.
According to prosecutors, Jawahar used investor money “to fuel an extravagant lifestyle that included flights on private planes, stays at luxury hotels and expensive outings at fancy restaurants.”
Jawahar remained in the Ste. Genevieve County jail ahead of sentencing. Court documents related to his detention also addressed his immigration status. A judge wrote that Jawahar, who is from India, had been living illegally in the United States since 2005.
The case took another turn before sentencing when prosecutors detailed Jawahar’s efforts to generate outside support for a reduced sentence.
Prosecutors alleged that Jawahar hired political consulting firm Axiom Strategies for $10,000 on August 24 to “assist with the development and coordination of approximately one to two advocacy or support letters for consideration in connection with Client’s forthcoming sentencing.”
Missouri Congressman Sam Graves subsequently sent a letter on congressional letterhead to U.S. Judge Zachary Bluestone. According to a September 10 docket entry, Graves said he was writing in his personal capacity and asked Bluestone to consider sentencing Jawahar to 48 months in prison.
Bluestone instead imposed an 11-year prison sentence.
Prosecutors also alleged that Jawahar paid a consultant to help secure a positive article about him that could be used to “influence the judge” handling his sentencing. Authorities said recorded jail phone calls captured conversations about the effort.
Kelce’s Business Ventures Have Put His Name in Another Ongoing Legal Case
Kelce’s identification as a victim in the Jawahar case comes as he and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes remain involved in a separate legal matter surrounding their Kansas City steakhouse, 1587 Prime.
Kelce and Mahomes co-founded the restaurant, which 1587 Sneakers has sued. The sneaker company filed a trademark infringement complaint naming both Chiefs players. Mahomes and Kelce’s attorneys have asked the court to dismiss all claims against them with prejudice. The case remains ongoing.
Litigation partner James Molen previously told Heavy that the dispute involves questions about how closely the two players must be connected to the restaurant’s operations to face claims personally.
“At the current stage of the proceeding, this case isn’t the trademark fight most people assume it is — it’s a fight over how close two celebrity investors have to be to a business before a court can drag them into it personally,” Molen said.
“Mahomes and Kelce’s primary argument is that they’re several corporate layers removed from the restaurant’s operating LLC and never personally touched a New York transaction, while the plaintiff says their jersey numbers are the mark, which makes them ‘moving forces’ by definition,” Molen explained.
Molen said the dismissal request rests on multiple arguments.
“While I can’t predict the outcome, here’s what’s worth watching: the athletes’ motion raises three separate grounds for dismissal — no personal jurisdiction, wrong venue, and failure to state a claim — and any one of those, if the court agrees, could result in dismissal,” he said.
Travis Kelce Named as Victim After $25 Million Scheme Ends With 11-Year Sentence