Kansas City Chiefs superfan Xaviar Babudar, aka “Chiefsaholic,” was sentenced to 17.5 years in prison on Thursday for multiple convictions related to a 16-month bank robbery spree that began in March 2022.
Judge Howard Sachs of the U.S. District Court in Kansas City also ordered Babudar to pay $532,675 in restitution to his victims and forfeit the proceeds of his crimes, including a signed painting of Patrick Mahomes that he bought at auction.
Babudar, 30, was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2023 on 19 counts, including multiple counts of armed bank robbery and money laundering. In February, he pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery, one count of money laundering and one count of transporting stolen property across state lines.
As part of the plea, Babudar admitted to stealing more than $800,000 from 11 banks and credit unions in seven states, including Iowa, Minnesota, Tennessee, Oklahoma and California. Babudar then laundered the proceeds in casinos, prosecutors said. Prosecutors said Babudar brandished what looked like a gun during the robberies.
According to the Kansas City Star, two bank employees who were harassed by Babudar testified or made written statements at the sentencing.
“Every morning before I go to work, I think about the robbery,” one victim wrote in a statement.
“I still have nightmares about my bank being robbed,” another said in court.
According to Star, Babudar addressed his crimes during the hearing.
“Every day reminds me of the shame I have to carry with me,” he said.
Before the revelation of his bank robbery spree, Babudar was a popular figure among Chiefs fans and on social media. He regularly attended Chiefs games wearing a wolf costume as a tribute to the team’s mascot, KC Wolf. Prosecutors allege Babudar used the proceeds from his bank robberies to fund his attendance at Chiefs games and build the “Chiefsaholic” brand.
Babudar was arrested in Bixby, Oklahoma, in December 2022 and released on house arrest on bail. According to prosecutors, he removed his ankle bracelet and robbed two more banks. After nearly three months on the run, he was caught by the FBI near Sacramento, California.
Babudar’s sentencing was originally scheduled for July 10. Instead, the verdict was announced on Thursday, just hours before the Chiefs open the NFL season with a home game against the Baltimore Ravens.
