Kansas City Chiefs superfan Xavier Babudar, better known as “Chiefsaholic,” has been sentenced to 17 years and six months in prison for robbing nearly $850,000 from 11 banks across seven states. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri confirmed the sentencing in a press release, adding that Babudar was also ordered to pay $532,675 in restitution to the victim financial institutions, told AP News.
Babudar, 30, gained attention for his elaborate wolf costume at Chiefs games, becoming a social media fixture among NFL fans. However, behind his fandom was a crime spree that involved robbing banks in multiple states, including Iowa, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Tennessee, Minnesota, Nevada, and California. His sentencing came on Sept. 5, coinciding with the Chiefs’ season opener against the Baltimore Ravens. He will serve his time concurrently in both the Western District of Missouri and the Northern District of Oklahoma.
“Babudar’s robbery spree bankrolled the expensive tickets and travel across the country to attend Kansas City Chiefs games while he cultivated a large fan base online. However, the bank and credit union employees whom he terrorized at gunpoint suffered the brunt of his true nature,” U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore stated in the press release.
Babudar also admitted to laundering a significant portion of the stolen money through casinos and online gambling. Despite some funds being recovered, a substantial amount remains missing. Additionally, Babudar must forfeit property related to his money laundering activities, including a signed painting of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, which was recovered by the FBI.
Babudar’s criminal activities extended beyond bank robberies, with prosecutors revealing that he cut off his ankle monitor and fled while out on bond in 2023, committing two more robberies afterward. He was arrested in July 2023 in Sacramento, California, after a months-long manhunt.
“The actions of Babudar were brazen and traumatic for the bank employees robbed in Bixby, Oklahoma,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson of the Northern District of Oklahoma. FBI Special Agent Stephen Cyrus added, “Babudar terrorized bank employees throughout his multi-state crime spree while relishing his celebrity status.”
Before his arrest, Babudar even wagered on his favorite team, placing a $5,000 bet on the Chiefs winning Super Bowl LVII and another $5,000 on Patrick Mahomes being named MVP. Both bets paid off, earning Babudar $100,000, part of which he used to purchase a getaway vehicle. His arrest marked the end of a spree that left a trail of terror across the country.