Prosecutors listed Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who grew up near Cleveland and played college football for the University of Cincinnati Bearcats, as a victim of a multi-million-dollar Ponzi scheme that was prosecuted in St. Louis, according to a St Louis-based KMOV investigative reporter who was in the courtroom when his name was read.
Little was said about Kelce in court, other than him being named among at least 64 victims in the fraud case, according to the report. Kelce's name is not included in the indictment or judgement in the case, both of which were obtained by USA TODAY Sports. Victim impact statements in the case are sealed.
Kelce was listed as an investor in a fund created by Swiftarc, which was founded by the defendant
in the case, Siddarth Jawahar, according to a 2021 Forbes article. Basketball players Tim Hardaway Jr., Gary Harris and Mason Plumlee were also listed as investors in the fund by Forbes, but it wasn't immediately clear if they were also victims of the fraud scheme.
The indictment obtained by USA TODAY Sports outlined that Jawahar "took tens of millions of dollars from his investors" instead of making promised investments on their behalf.
Jawahar then used money acquired from new investors to pay off his previous investors. He then used the remainder to fund "extravagant lifestyle expenses, including payments for flights on private planes, stays at luxury hotels, and expensive outings at lavish restaurants."
Jawahar, 38, pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY Sports. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Zachary M. Bluestone to 11 years in prison and will also be required to pay $31.35 million in restitution to his victims.
Travis Kelce marries music superstar Taylor Swift, returns to Kansas City Chiefs, buys Ohio mansion
Travis Kelce married pop superstar Taylor Swift during a July 3, 2026, ceremony at Madison Square Garden in New York City, which had an estimated guest list of 1,000 people.
Kelce and Swift recently purchased a $5.35 million estate on the shores of Lake Erie in Bratenahl, Ohio, only a few miles from where he grew up in Cleveland Heights. The couple has since beefed up the security system to audibly warn people who get too close to the property.
In March 2026, Kelce signed a $57.7 million three-year contract extension to return as tight end of the Kansas City Chiefs. He has three Super Bowl rings with the Chiefs.
Travis Kelce invests in Six Flags, buys stake in Garage Beer with brother Jason
Kelce bought a stake in Six Flags, the owner of Cedar Point and Kings Island in Ohio, in October 2025. His brother, Jason, was spotted at Cedar Point, wearing an umbrella hat, in August 2026.
The brothers also became significant investors, partners, owners and operators of Garage Beer, a light beer brand first created in Cincinnati, in June 2024.
Jason Kelce an analyst with ESPN, part of University of Cincinnati Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2026, played in NFL
He wasn't a victim in the Ponzi scheme, but Jason Kelce was center for the Philadelphia Eagles, winning a Super Bowl with the team in 2018 and retiring in 2024. He is currently an analyst for ESPN's "Monday Night Countdown."
He will join the James P. Kelly UC Athletic Hall of Famein its 50th Anniversary Class of 2026. The induction will be held Oct. 23, the night before the UC vs. Texas Tech homecoming football game at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati.
Kelce family has deep connections to Ohio
Donna Kelce, their mother, grew up in Moreland Hills, outside of Cleveland, and attended Ohio University in Athens, where she earned a radio and television degree. She later earned a master's degree from Baldwin Wallace University.
The Ohio native also worked for banking institutions in northeast Ohio. She wed her then-husband, Ed, in the 1970s, and together they had two boys, Jason and Travis.
The brothers graduated from Cleveland Heights High School before playing college football at the University of Cincinnati.
Donna and Ed divorced after being together for more than 20 years.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Travis Kelce, other athletes victims in multi-million dollar Ponzi scheme
