Picture this: The Chiefs are playing at Arrowhead Stadium. Cameras repeatedly show a man wearing a wolf costume on the big screen. He is Xaviar Babudar, aka ChiefsAholic, a fan of the Chiefs with a cult following and a fandom for himself. Excited? Don’t be. He is a criminal, a bank robber.
In February this year, he admitted that he stole more than $800,000 during 11 bank robberies in 7 states. Where did the money go? He used it all to travel the country with his favorite team (Chiefs), watching games and placing bets. Today, on the 5th of September, Babudar’s fate hangs in balance. He is sentenced to 17½ years in prison without parole and three years of supervised release.
Chiefs superfan Xaviar Babudar was sentenced to 17½ years in prison without parole and three years of supervised release on Thursday for committing a string of armed bank robberies across the U.S. https://t.co/J60cY5Dt2w
— ESPN (@espn) September 5, 2024
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Polls of the day
Poll 1 of 5
Do you think ChiefsAholic's actions tarnish the reputation of Chiefs fans?
Absolutely
Not at all
Only a little
Depends on the outcome
What aspect of Patrick Mahomes' background do you find most intriguing?
His mixed ethnicity
His Christian faith
His athletic family
His rise to NFL stardom
Whats your Perspective on:
Does ChiefsAholic's arrest tarnish the reputation of Chiefs fans, or is he just a bad apple?
Have an interesting take?
Who will be the most missed player in Week One?
Nick Bolton
Hollywood Brown
Chris Jones
Other
Do you think Haason Reddick's absence will cost the Eagles the game against the 49ers?
Absolutely
Not at all
Maybe
Depends on other factors
On social media, he portrayed himself as a hardworking bachelor. But that wasn’t the case. Chiefdom is stunned. Currently lodged in Leavenworth Federal Prison in Kansas, ChiefsAholic requested to be sent to the Greenville Federal Penitentiary in Illinois. While the District Court for the Western District of Missouri is yet to finalize the prison for him, let us take you through his arrest.
He was first arrested after an armed robbery at Tulsa Teachers Credit Union in December 2022. In February 2023, he was released on a bond. But he didn’t change his ways. After winning $100,000 in bets (on the Chiefs), he got rid of his GPS monitor. Subsequently, he robbed several banks in the next 4 months. ChiefsAholic was finally arrested on July 7, 2023.
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We know what you are thinking. Why did he commit such crimes? We got the answer.
ChiefsAholic’s Shocking Motive Behind Crimes
What’s your perspective on:
Does ChiefsAholic's arrest tarnish the reputation of Chiefs fans, or is he just a bad apple?
Have an interesting take?
His attorney, Matthew Merryman, argued before the court that his client had a gambling addiction. But senior litigation counsel, Patrick Daly, outright rejected those claims. Daly claimed, “It’s not an addiction to gambling. It’s not an addiction to the Chiefs. It’s an addiction to fame.” That’s not all! ChiefsAholic is hoping for redemption.
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Merryman filed a separate petition, claiming that his client suffered from mental trauma and homelessness. According to him, Babudar is sorry for his actions and wants to help people struggling with gambling addiction. The attorney also said that he (ChiefsAholic) wants to learn mechanical trades. That looks unlikely!
Babudar’s attorney might file a separate filing for this sentence to be lowered to 10 years. Chiefdom, what do you think about this situation? Let us know in the comments.
Debate
Does ChiefsAholic's arrest tarnish the reputation of Chiefs fans, or is he just a bad apple?