Travis Kelce Among Victims in Fraud Scheme

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce was named as a victim in a multi-million dollar fraud scheme that took place between 2016 and 2023. Outlets on the right generally emphasized the perpetrator was an unauthorized immigrant while many outlets on the left omitted it completely.

The Details: Siddharth Jawahar was sentenced to 11 years in prison after taking over $35 million from investors to fund an "extravagant" lifestyle, according to the Justice Department. The department reported Jawahar used the money for "travel on private jets, stays at luxury hotels, a luxury apartment in Austin and New York City," memberships to private clubs and multiple spending sprees. He was ordered to pay $31.35 million in restitution to victims, which included Kelce and 64 others. It's unknown how much Kelce lost through the investments.

For Context: Between 2016 and 2023, Jawahar received more than $35 million from investors for his investment company called Swiftarc Capital LLC. According to the Justice Department, he only invested about $10 million. He also managed several additional investment entities. In January, he pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud.

Immigration Status: The Associated Press (Lean Left) cited court documents that showed Jawahar came into the US from India in 2005 and had since been living in the US without legal status. After his incitement, Jawahar allegedly tried to coach a victim into giving a favorable statement to the FBI, lied about his immigration status and finances, and tried to get his sister to remotely wipe his iPhone to hide evidence.

From the Right: Outlets on the right often emphasized Jawahar's immigration status in their headlines and at the beginning of their articles. The Daily Wire (Right bias) referred to Jawahar as "the illegal immigrant" throughout its piece. Breitbart (Right), The Blaze (Right) and Townhall (Right) all described Jawahar as an "illegal alien" in their headlines. Townhall wrote, "Democrats will tell us we can't deport illegal aliens who are non-violent. But Jawahar was a prolific criminal who scammed a lot of people, even though he looked like a banker."

From the Left: Many outlets on the left completely excluded Jawahar's immigration status, instead focusing on details of the case. This included People (Lean Left), NBC News (Lean Left), ABC News (Lean Left) and The Guardian (Left). NBC also omitted Jawahar's alleged attempt to get a victim to lie about his immigration status but noted him asking for a favorable statement and for his sister to wipe his phone. The outlet also quoted Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO) who commended Jawahar's time in jail where he "chose accountability" and helped establish educational programs.

From the Center: NewsNation (Center) and Newsweek (Center) focused on Kelce's fame and his marriage to Taylor Swift. NewsNation included stats from his first NFL game of the season. Newsweek also included a section about Kelce and Swift's net worth. Both outlets also omitted Jawahar's immigration status.

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