A Kansas City Chiefs superfan was indicted by a federal grand jury Wednesday on 19 charges, including bank robbery and money laundering, according to ESPN's David Purdum.
Xaviar Babudar, better known as ChiefsAholic on social media, was charged with:
- Three counts of armed bank robbery
- One count of bank theft
- 11 counts of money laundering
- Four counts of transporting stolen property across state lines
Babudar's defense attorney Matthew T. Merryman said in a statement:
"The government's announcement today of its 19-count indictment provides an unfair and unjust portrayal of Xaviar. The truth is that since 2018 Xaviar Babudar, aka 'ChiefsAholic' has entertained, inspired, unified and motivated Kansas Citians, the Chiefs Kingdom and hundreds of millions of football fans around the globe. It's now the fourth quarter of the most important game of Xaviar's life, and his legal team believes his innocence will ultimately be proven to the public and we are confident that once all of the facts are known that he will be redeemed in the eyes of his supporters, admirers and the Chiefs Kingdom."
Babudar, often seen at NFL games wearing a gray wolf suit, allegedly laundered money through casinos in the Midwest and used the profits to go to Chiefs home and away games, federal prosecutors said, per Purdum.
The 29-year-old has also been linked to six robberies and two attempted robberies between March 2022 and December 2022 in which he allegedly stole more than $800,000, according to the criminal complaint unsealed last month.
Babudar was first arrested on Dec. 16, 2022, in Bixby, Oklahoma, and he fled the state while out on bond after winning $100,000 on bets from an Illinois sportsbook, according to the Department of Justice. He placed bets on Patrick Mahomes to win NFL MVP and the Chiefs to win the Super Bowl.
A few days after receiving the $100,000, Babudar allegedly cut his ankle monitor and was at large for more than three months before being arrested by the FBI in Sacramento, California, on July 7, according to the indictment.
