Chiefs superfan indicted on bank robbery charges

A federal grand jury indicted an infamous Kansas City Chiefs superfan Wednesday in Kansas City, according to the U.S. attorney’s office for the Western District of Missouri.

Xaviar Babudar, 29, is accused of three counts of armed bank robbery, one count of bank theft, 11 counts of money laundering and four counts of transporting stolen property across state lines. Federal prosecutors allege Babudar laundered the proceeds through casinos in the Midwest and used the funds to attend Chiefs home and away games.

Babudar, known as Chiefsaholic on social media, wore a gray wolf suit to games and often was shown on broadcasts. In a criminal complaint unsealed in July, Babudar was linked to six robberies and two attempted robberies during a nine-month stretch from March 2, 2022, in Clive, Iowa, to Dec. 16, 2022, in Bixby, Oklahoma, where he was first arrested. In total, authorities allege Babudar stole more than $800,000.

According to a Department of Justice release, Babudar fled while out on bond in Oklahoma after receiving $100,000 in winnings from an Illinois sportsbook from bets on Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes to win NFL MVP and Kansas City to win the Super Bowl. The indictment alleges that days after receiving the $100,000, Babudar cut his ankle monitor and fled the state. He was on the run for over three months before being captured by the FBI near Sacramento on July 7.

“The government’s announcement today of its 19-count indictment provides an unfair and unjust portrayal of Xaviar,” Babudar’s defense attorney, Matthew T. Merryman, said in a statement. “The truth is that since 2018 Xaviar Babudar, aka “ChiefsAholic” has entertained, inspired, unified and motivated Kansas Citians, the Chiefs Kingdom and hundreds of millions of football fans around the globe. It’s now the fourth quarter of the most important game of Xaviar’s life, and his legal team believes his innocence will ultimately be proven to the public and we are confident that once all of the facts are known that he will be redeemed in the eyes of his supporters, admirers and the Chiefs Kingdom.”

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