Investment firm leader gets 11 years for Ponzi scheme that bilked dozens, including Travis Kelce - AP News

U.S. District Judge Zachary Bluestone handed down the sentence Tuesday in St. Louis and ordered Jawahar to pay $31.35 million in restitution. Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Missouri say Jawahar pulled in more than $35 million from investors between July 2016 and December 2023. Jawahar's attorney did not respond to a request for comment.

The case follows a familiar pattern. A trusted name in investing, big promises, and a client list that grew to include a high-profile NFL star before the whole thing collapsed. Kelce's involvement is what pushed this story past a regional court docket and onto national wires.

For the 64 people who lost money, an 11 year sentence and a restitution order don't guarantee they'll ever see their cash back. Court-ordered restitution in fraud cases often takes years to collect, if it gets collected at all, and the $31.35 million figure hints at just how long Jawahar kept the operation running before anyone caught on.

One of the most famous tight ends in football got taken by the same playbook that's burned regular investors for decades.