Kansas City Chiefs superfan “ChiefsAholic,” whose real name is Xaviar Babudar, pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges related to a string of 11 bank and credit union robberies and attempted robberies across seven states from 2022 to 2023.
The plea was made before U.S. District Judge Howard Sachs in Missouri. Sachs will sentence Babudar on July 10 for money laundering and transporting stolen property across state lines. The 29-year-old faces up to 50 years in prison without parole.
More from Sportico.com
Babudar’s plea agreement also calls for him to pay at least $532,675 in restitution and forfeit ill-gotten gains obtained through money laundering—including an autographed painting of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Babudar first rose to fame by dressing as a wolf at Chiefs game and generating a large social media following as Twitter user @ChiefsAholic.
Although Babudar didn’t rob banks disguised as a wolf, he did alter his appearance. Last year, for example, he stole $1,100 from Heritage Banks in Sparks, Nev., while wearing a beanie, COVID-19 mask and a fanny pack. Other disguises included ski masks and goggles. Babudar also threatened bank employees at gunpoint and warned he’d shoot them unless they turned over cash.
To “clean” the money he stole, Babudar would launder it through casinos and online gambling. Investigators found betslips from Barstool Sportsbook and FanDuel.
Babudar’s laundering benefited from the Chiefs’ recent success as back-to-back Super Bowl champs. In June 2022 Babudar bet $5,000 of his stolen money on Mahomes wining the MVP at Super Bowl LVII (with a payout of $45,000) and another $5,000 on the Chiefs winning Super Bowl LVIII (with a payout of $55,000). Babudar called it correctly, with the Chiefs topping the Philadelphia Eagles 38-25. Last March, Argosy Casino in Alton, Ill., sent Babudar a check for $100,000.
Babudar also escaped custody. In December 2022 he was arrested after robbing the Tulsa Teachers Federal Credit Union. He was released on bond in February 2023, but cut his ankle monitor. Babudar evaded authorities until his arrest in Sacramento last July.
“His violent crime spree across the Midwest and beyond traumatized bank employees and victimized financial institutions in seven states,” U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore said in a statement Wednesday. She added while Babudar tried to conceal his crimes, “the odds caught up with him.”
Babudar’s attorney, Matthew Merryman, offered a more sympathetic take while outside the courthouse. “The government has been blitzing, and Xavier’s pocket was collapsing,” Merryman insisted, “but today Xavier stepped into the pressure” by pleading guilty and taking responsibility.
While saying his client “doesn’t give up” and still has a future ahead, Merryman insisted if Babudar “stumbled” and “fell,” he still “didn’t let his knee touch the ground.”
Best of Sportico.com
