A Kansas City superfan known as "ChiefsAholic" was arrested and indicted related to a string of bank and credit union robberies, the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Western District of Missouri has announced.
ChiefsAholic — real name Xaviar Babudar — has evaded authorities since March in relation to a bank robbery that occurred in Tulsa, Okla., in December. He was later tied to numerous bank robberies and attempts, and now faces the possibility of hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines and several decades in prison, at least.
Here's everything you need to know about Babudar, including his history as a Chiefs superfan, the details of his arrest, the allegations against him and more:
Who is ChiefsAholic?
Xaviar Babudar, 28, is a Chiefs superfan who gained a social media following for showing up to games wearing his signature wolf costume and Chiefs jersey.
Per the release from the United States Attorney's Office in the Western District of Missouri, Babudar's lifestyle was supported by a "perpetration of a string of bank and credit union robberies throughout 2022." He reportedly laundered the money from his robberies through casinos.
The FBI has arrested Xaviar Babudar, also known as "ChiefsAholic," on charges of bank theft and transporting stolen property across state lines. He will appear in court this afternoon.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) July 10, 2023
More details from the Department of Justice: https://t.co/HguJ8YK75w pic.twitter.com/AWB0eW36BJ
ChiefsAholic arrest, explained
Police arrested Babudar in December and charged him in connection with the Dec. 16, 2022 robbery of the Tulsa Teachers Federal Credit Union. He made bail in February 2023, then removed his ankle monitor in late March 2023.
Babudar was arrested on July 7, in Sacramento, and on Aug. 16, he was charged in a 19-count indictment, per the United States Attorney's Office in the Western District of Missouri.
According to the official FBI Kansas City Twitter account, Babudar was arrested Monday in Lincoln, Calif., as part of a joint operation involving the Placer County (Calif.) Sheriff's Department; the Lincoln (Calif.) Police Department; and the FBI bureau based in Sacramento, Calif.
Other FBI bureaus involved in the investigation include those in Oklahoma City, Okla.; Minneapolis; Omaha, Neb.; and Memphis, Tenn.
According to a release by the Department of Justice, Babudar has been connected to a string of robberies at various banks and credit unions throughout the Midwest. He is also accused of transporting said money across state lines and laundering it through various casinos and bank accounts.
FBI investigators reportedly began reviewing Babudar's bank records and casino transactions following his December arrest, discovering he purchased and redeemed more than $1 million in chips from various casinos in Missouri, Kansas, and Illinois between April and December 2022. Investigators also placed his cell phone in cities where unsolved bank robberies occurred.
Apart from the bank robberies previously mentioned in the DOJ's statement, Babudar also was tied to four bank robberies in Nebraska, Iowa, Tennessee and Oklahoma, as well as two attempted credit union robberies in Minnesota.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office release, Babudar is alleged to have stolen:
- $70,000 from the Great Western Bank in Clive, Iowa
- $170,860 from the First National Bank of Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska
- $303,845 from First Class Community Credit Union in West Des Moines, Iowa
- $125,900 from The Tennessee Credit Union in Nashville, Tennessee
- $25,000 from the First Interstate Bank in Clive, Iowa
The release also states he robbed the Tulsa Teachers Federal Credit Union.
What is ChiefsAholic charged with?
Per the U.S. Attorney's Office release, Babudar faces 19 counts in his indictment: three counts of armed bank robbery, one of bank theft, 11 of money laundering and four of transporting stolen property across state lines.
The indictment replaces the federal charges, one count each of bank theft and transporting stolen property across state lines.