Kansas City Chiefs Superfan Arrested for Bank Robbery, Allegedly Used Casinos to Launder Money

Article ByKyle Garlett

July 11, 2023

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Posted in: US Gambling Crime News, US Casino News, US Sports Betting News

Kansas City Chiefs “superfan” Xaviar Babudar, known as ChiefsAholic on social media and recognizable for the werewolf custom he wore to every game, was arrested over the weekend by authorities near Sacramento, California.

Babudar was arrested by authorities last December in Oklahoma for allegedly robbing a bank as he was traveling from Kansas City to watch the Chiefs play at the Houston Texans. He was held in a Tulsa County jail until February 8, when his bail was reduced from $200,000 to $80,000. He posted bail, but then in March, he cut off his ankle monitor and skipped his arraignment.

At the time that he was released on bond, the Chiefs were preparing to play in the Super Bowl in Arizona, and Babudar had previously posted betting slips showing him in line to make $100,000 on a pair of bets – the Chiefs winning the Super Bowl, and Patrick Mahomes winning the NFL MVP. Both bets hit. However, it is unknown if Babudar was able to collect on his winnings.

The FBI made the arrest last weekend in California, and believe that he is responsible for a string of bank robberies in Nebraska, Iowa, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and two failed robberies in Minnesota. Authorities also believe that over that same time he purchased more than $1 million in casino chips in Missouri, Kansas, and Illinois, and then cashed in those chips and deposited the winnings in various bank accounts in the Kansas City area.

Altogether, Babudar is alleged to have purchased $1.1 million in chips at the Argosy Casino, Bally’s Casino, Harrah’s Casino, and the Ameristar Casino in Kansas City, Missouri; the Ameristar, Argosy, and Hollywood Casinos in the greater St. Louis area; as well as the Hollywood Casino in Kansas City, Kansas.

Investigators believe that of the $1.1 million in chips that he bought, he cashed in $1.07 million, effectively “laundering” the money that was stolen.

“I am thankful for the hard work of the FBI in finding and arresting Xaviar Babudar,” said Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler in a released statement. “As Tulsa County was the first jurisdiction to arrest and charge Babudar in December, 2022, it is the goal of my office to prosecute him in Tulsa County District Court prior to a federal case. As a fugitive from justice from our jurisdiction after his bond was reduced over our objection, Babudar posed an extreme risk to the public. I am grateful that no other citizen or law enforcement officer was subjected to the violence he demonstrated in Tulsa County, Oklahoma.”

In the Tulsa County bank robbery last December, Babudar allegedly pointed a gun at a bank employee’s face and told her that if she didn’t cooperate, he would put a bullet in her head.

More Charges Likely

At the moment, Babudar is charged with bank robbery with a dangerous weapon, and transporting stolen property across state lines. But those charges are only related to the robbery in Tulsa County last December. He is connected to at least four other robberies, and there may be additional charges filed regarding the casino money laundering.

The U.S. attorney’s office in Western Missouri said in a statement, “This case will be presented to a federal grand jury to determine whether to return an indictment on these or any additional charges.”

It has been determined that Babudar’s cell phone was in the same cities of the robberies and attempted robberies, and at the same time the crimes were committed.

In Oklahoma, the amount stolen was $150,250. Two separate robberies in Clive, Iowa, conducted eight months apart, were for $95,000. At First Class Credit Union in Des Moines, Iowa, $303,845 was stolen. A robbery at an Omaha, Nebraska, bank was for $170,860, and at a credit union in Nashville the amount taken was $125,900.

The two charges he currently faces each carry a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.

Cult Figure

Because of his notoriety as a visible Chiefs fan who garnered television coverage at nearly every game he attended, Babudar has been talked about frequently on the Pat McAfee Show. McAfee even offered him an interview on his show after his initial bank robbery.

Chiefs All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce said on the podcast that he cohosts with his brother, Jason Kelce, that he’s sure he’s met Babudar at various Chiefs-related functions around the Kansas City area, and quipped, “I might have shaken his hand in passing and didn’t even know I was shaking the hand of a legend.”

Jason Kelce sent out a tweet to Babudar after he cut off his ankle monitor, inviting him on the show “to tell your story.” Babudar never contacted either the Kelces or McAfee about appearing on their shows.