In a Missouri federal court, Siddharth Jawahar, an Indian‑origin investment adviser, was sentenced to 11 years in prison for running a Ponzi scheme that drew more than $35 million from investors between 2016 and 2023.
The indictment alleges that Jawahar used the money to pay earlier investors and to fund a lavish lifestyle that included private jet travel, luxury hotel stays, and high‑end dining. Among the victims was American football player and singer‑songwriter Taylor Swift’s husband, Travis Kelce, though the details of his investment are not disclosed.
Jawahar founded Swiftarc Capital LLC in 2010 and registered it as an investment adviser in 2013. By 2015 he had concentrated 99 % of client funds in a single investment in Philip Morris Pakistan. When the company’s value fell, he continued to misrepresent the price to investors and failed to disclose the decline. Instead of investing the money, he used it to fund the scheme and his lifestyle. The Texas State Securities Board revoked Swiftarc’s authority in 2022, but the adviser continued to solicit funds, including a $1 million pledge weeks after the order.
District Judge Zachary M. Bluestone ordered Jawahar to pay $31.35 million in restitution and cited the “enormous” losses and the length of the fraud. He noted the defendant’s failure to begin repaying victims and the way he “weaponized” investors’ trust. The case underscores the risks of unregulated investment schemes and the importance of regulatory oversight.
