Kansas City Chiefs Superfan Paid for Game Tickets Through Series of Bank Robberies, Feds Say
Xavier Babudar, who was known for wearing a wolf costume, attended nearly every Chiefs game until he was arrested last December
AP Photo/David Zalubowski
Xavier BabudarA Kansas City Chiefs superfan known for attending nearly every home and away game in recent years had been funding his fanatic lifestyle through a series of bank robberies across the Midwest, federal authorities alleged this week.
With new court documents unsealed Monday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri announced that Chiefs superfan Xavier Babudar — better known to fans as “ChiefsAholic” on Twitter — is facing charges for bank theft and transporting stolen property across state lines.
Babudar, 28, is accused of robbing seven banks between April and December 2022 in Nebraska, Iowa, Tennessee and Oklahoma, as well as two attempted robberies at credit unions in Minnesota.
Babudar was widely known among NFL fans for donning a wolf’s mask and a red Chiefs jersey at nearly every Kansas City game, often appearing on television broadcasts and tweeting about the team. He was in attendance at the Chiefs' Super Bowl win in 2020, where he snagged a selfie with a team executive and made his way onto the field to celebrate the team's victory, according to The New York Times.
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Xavier BabudarBut when Babudar failed to show up at the Chiefs win over the Houston Texans last December, or tweet about how it ended with a dramatic overtime, fans grew worried. Soon after, it was revealed Babudar had been arrested and charged with using a pistol to rob a credit union in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
He was released on bond in February when, according to the Times, a bail bondsman who was a fellow Chiefs fan agreed to post his $80,000 bail — just four days before the Chiefs won their second Super Bowl in four years.
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Authorities allege Babudar then escaped house arrest this past March after he broke off his ankle bracelet and fled the home. He was on the run for four months until authorities arrested him near Sacramento, California on charges related to a March 2022 bank robbery in Iowa, the U.S. district attorney says.
"According to the affidavit, he entered the bank wearing a ski mask and handed a teller a note demanding money and indicating he had a firearm," the U.S. district attorney says, noting he managed to steal $70,000 from the bank.
Over the course of seven successful bank robberies, court documents show Babudar stole roughly $845,000. Authorities then allege he laundered the money through casino transactions across several states, purchasing and redeeming roughly $1 million at casinos in Missouri, Kansas and Illinois throughout last year.
On Twitter, the Chiefs superfan told a different story, claiming to his more than 50,000 social media followers that he was able to afford tickets and routine travel to games because he owned several manufacturing warehouses.
“After graduating KSU in 2016 I was working a warehouse job making $12 an hour,” he once wrote on Twitter, according to the Times. “Today I manage multiple warehouses throughout the Midwest region and make an excellent living, and I’m only 28 years old. Hard work pays off and don’t let ANYONE tell you otherwise!”
Babudar now faces up to 10 years in prison for both the bank theft charges and his charge of transporting stolen property across state lines, as well as a $250,000 for each charge, court documents show. A federal grand jury is set to hear the charges at a later date.
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