A man known as the “Kansas City Chiefs Superfan” or “Chiefs-Aholic,” who was charged for a string of 11 robberies or attempted robberies of financial institutions in seven different states, including one in El Dorado Hills last summer, was sentenced this week after a multi-state manhunt.
Xaviar Michael Babudar, 29, who pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs earlier this year to money laundering, transporting stolen property across state lines, and bank robbery, was sentenced to 17 years and six months in federal prison without parole. He will also pay restitution.
“His violent crime spree across the Midwest and beyond traumatized bank employees and victimized financial institutions,” said U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore in a statement following the sentencing. “The defendant tried to conceal hundreds of thousands of dollars in stolen cash by using it to gamble online and at casinos, but the odds caught up with him.”
Prior to his convictions, Babudar admitted to engaging in a string of nine bank and credit union robberies (or attempted robberies) in 2022, followed by two more bank robberies while he was a fugitive from justice.
“Babudar walked into a bank in Bixby, Oklahoma, demanded money, and threatened to shoot them if they did not comply,” stated U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson of the Northern District of Oklahoma. “Babudar posed a serious danger and risk to the public. I am thankful for the efforts of the Bixby Police Department, the FBI, and federal prosecutors in holding him accountable.”
“While Babudar garnered significant national attention,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen A. Cyrus, “his criminal actions were reckless — intimidating and victimizing bank employees and the institutions themselves. Significant law enforcement resources were utilized across multiple states to locate and arrest Babudar. This would not have occurred without the assistance and diligence of our local, state, and federal partners.”
Under the terms of Babudar’s plea agreement, he must pay at least $532,675 in restitution to the victim financial institutions. Babudar must also forfeit to the government any property involved in his money laundering activity, including an autographed painting of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick L. Mahomes II that was recovered by the FBI.
Babudar, who lived a nomadic existence at various locations around the Kansas City metropolitan area, enjoyed a robust social media presence as Kansas City Chiefs superfan, Twitter user @ChiefsAholic, attending most games dressed as a wolf in Chiefs clothing.
The superfan previously pleaded guilty to stealing $70,000 from the Clive, Iowa, branch of Great Western Bank on March 2, 2022. Babudar admitted that he entered the bank wearing a ski mask and handed the teller a note demanding money, indicating he had a firearm. As he fled on foot, Babudar left behind a black glove and approximately $1,420 in $20 bills in a wooded area near the bank. Investigators later recovered Babudar’s DNA from the black glove. Babudar then carried this money to Missouri, depositing it in two separate transactions into his personal savings account in an attempt to conceal the criminal nature of the proceeds.
Babudar also pleaded guilty to stealing $139,500 from Tulsa Teachers Federal Credit Union in Bixby, Oklahoma, on Dec. 16, 2022. He entered the credit union armed with what appeared to be a black handgun, jumped the teller counter, and ordered a bank employee at gunpoint to go to the vault. Once at the vault, Babudar demanded that employees put the money into a plastic bag. During the robbery, he told credit union employees that if they did not comply, he would shoot them.
When Babudar was arrested shortly after the robbery, he had a large bag containing $139,500 in $100 bills and $10,750 in $50 bills, totaling $150,250 in cash. When investigators searched his 2019 Mazda 3, they found numerous pairs of goggles and gloves that he wore during a series of robberies. Investigators also found a Barstool Sportsbook bet slip for $20,000, dated Nov. 19, 2022, a FanDuel bet slip for $4,000, dated Dec. 1, 2022, and letters from Community America Credit Union related to his deposits of $20,000 and $50,000 on May 2, 2022.
Babudar also admitted to committing or attempting to commit nine robberies of banks and credit unions, in addition to the two to which he is pleading guilty. Those crimes, including two bank robberies committed while Babudar was a fugitive from justice, will be considered relevant conduct at his sentencing. Other banks robbed were located in Omaha, Nebraska; West Des Moines, Iowa; Nashville, Tennessee; Savage, Minnesota; Apple Valley, Minnesota; and Clive, Iowa.
On Dec. 16, 2022, he was finally caught in Oklahoma after robbing the Tulsa Teachers Federal Credit Union. After his arrest, he was released on bond in February 2023.
Months earlier, Babudar placed two winning bets at Argosy Casino in Alton, Illinois. On June 10, 2022, Babudar bet $5,000 that Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes II would win the MVP at Super Bowl LVII, which would pay out $45,000. He also bet $5,000 that the Kansas City Chiefs would win the Super Bowl, which would pay out $55,000. When the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl on Feb. 12, 2023, and Mahomes won MVP, Babudar won $100,000. Argosy Casino mailed him a $100,000 check in early March 2023.
Days later, Babudar cut his ankle monitor and fled Oklahoma. According to court documents, Babudar used his gambling winnings to purchase a vehicle in Henderson, Nevada, and evade law enforcement until his arrest near Lincoln, California, on July 7, 2023.
While in Nevada, he robbed Heritage Bank in Sparks for $1,100 on June 8, 2023, and U.S. Bank in El Dorado Hills for $950 on July 3, 2023. Babudar entered the bank disguised in a COVID-19 mask and showed the teller a note written on his cellphone demanding the money. He was detained shortly after his El Dorado Hills robbery and has remained in custody without bond since his arrest.
