A man popularly known as Kansas City Chiefs superfan “ChiefsAholic” pleaded guilty in federal court this week to charges related to a string of 11 robberies, or attempted robberies, of financial institutions in seven different states, including one in El Dorado Hills that took place last summer just before he was apprehended after a multi-state manhunt.
Xaviar Michael Babudar, 29 pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to one count of money laundering and one count of transporting stolen property across state lines, according to information furnished to Folsom Times by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Missouri. Babudar also pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery, which is contained in a separate case filed in the Northern District of Oklahoma.
“His violent crime spree across the Midwest and beyond traumatized bank employees and victimized financial institutions,” said U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. “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.”
Babudar also admitted that he engaged in a string of nine bank and credit union robberies and attempted robberies) in 2022 followed by two bank robberies committed while he was a fugitive from justice.
“Babudar walked into a bank in Bixby, Okla., demanded money, and threatened to shoot them if they did not comply,” said 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 due 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 also must 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 has been 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 pleaded guilty this week 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 bank teller a note demanding money and 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, Okla., on Dec. 16, 2022. Babudar admitted that 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 credit union’s vault. Once at the vault, Babudar demanded that bank employees open the vault and put the money from the vault into a plastic bag. During this robbery, Babudar 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 in his possession that contained $139,500 in $100 bills plus $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, which Babudar wore during a series of bank robberies. Investigators also found a Barstool Sportsbook betslip for $20,000, dated Nov. 19, 2022; a FanDuel betslip 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 that he committed, or attempted 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 the time of his sentencing.
Other banks robbed were located in Omaha, Neb.; West Des Moines, Iowa; Nashville, Tenn.; Savage, Minn.; Apple Valley, Minn.; and Clive, Iowa.
On Dec. 16, 2022, he was finally caught in Oklahoma after robbing the Tulsa Teachers Federal Credit Union.
After Babudar’s arrest in Oklahoma he was released on bond in February 2023.
Months earlier, Babudar had placed two winning bets at the Argosy Casino in Alton, Ill. On June 10, 2022, Babudar bet $5,000 that Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes II would win the Most Valuable Player at Super Bowl LVII, which would pay out $45,000 should that occur. Babudar also bet $5,000 that the Kansas City Chiefs would win Super Bowl LVII, which would pay out $55,000 should that occur. When the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl on Feb. 12, 2023, and Mahomes won the Most Valuable Player award, Babudar won $100,000. Argosy Casino mailed Babudar a $100,000 check in early March 2023.
Days later, Babudar cut his ankle monitor and fled from Oklahoma. According to court documents, Babudar used his gambling winnings to purchase a vehicle in Henderson, Nev., and evade law enforcement until his arrest in Sacramento July 7, 2023.
While in Nevada he hit the Heritage Bank in Sparks, Nev., June 8, 2023, for $1,100. On July 3, 2023, Babudar walked away with $950 from the U.S. Bank in El Dorado Hills. Babudar entered the bank disguised in a COVID-19 and showed a note to the teller that that he had written on his cellphone demanding the money. Babudar was detained shortly after his El Dorado Hills strike and has been in federal custody without bond since his arrest.
Under the terms of Babudar’s plea agreement, he is subject to a sentence of up to 50 years in federal prison without parole, with the parties agreeing to recommend that the sentences imposed for each count run concurrent to one another.
The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 10, 2024, after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
