KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs superfan known as “ChiefsAholic,” who spent months on the run, is in custody and faces new charges.
Xaviar Michael Babudar, 28, was arrested on Friday, in Lincoln, California, north of Sacramento, on new federal charges.
According to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Missouri, Babudar is charged with one count of bank theft and one count of transporting stolen property across state lines.
He is accused of using area casinos to launder money stolen from banks across the Midwest.
The new charges are in addition to crimes Babudar is accused of committing when he allegedly robbed the Tulsa Teachers Federal Credit Union on Dec. 16, 2022. Babudar was released on bond in February 2023, just four days before the Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII. In late March 2023, investigators said he removed his ankle monitor, and disappeared.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the new federal criminal complaint, Babudar traveled throughout the Midwest to rob banks and credit unions between March 2, 2022 and April 12, 2022.
He is accused of eight bank robberies, or attempted robberies, in five states. The court documents also show Babudar allegedly withdrew and deposited large amounts of money to use at different casinos following each robbery he is accused of committing.
Clive, Iowa
The robbery
- Great Western Bank
- March 2, 2022
- $68,540 stolen in heist
The crimes mentioned in the probable cause statement start with the robbery of Great Western Bank in Clive, Iowa, a suburb of Des Moines that is right on Interstate 35.
Bank employees told investigators that a suspect wearing a ski mask entered the bank. He handed the bank teller a note demanding money. He also indicated he had a gun.
The employees handed over cash and Babudar allegedly left the bank and ran away according to the court document.
Babudar is accused of stealing $68,540, in large bills, from the bank.
Great Western Bank provided the following pictures from surveillance cameras to both the Clive Police Department and the FBI.
While looking for the suspect, court records show a K-9 officer found a black glove that investigators believe was used during the robbery. They submitted the glove for DNA testing.
Suspicious Transactions
After the March 2, 2022 bank robbery in suburban Des Moines, court documents allege Babudar made several suspicious bank transitions in the six weeks following the robbery.
- March 17, 2022
- Deposited $30,000 into his Kansas City-area credit union account
- April 12, 2022
- Deposited $40,000 into his Kansas City-area credit union account
- Between April 5, 2022 – April 20, 2022
- Withdrew $68,000 from his credit union account
- Between April 15, 2022 – April 21, 2022
- Deposited $65,000 from casinos into his account
Casino visit
After depositing and withdrawing cash from his account, court documents show Babudar bought casino chips at Argosy Casino in Riverside, Missouri.
The probable cause statement shows Babudar cashed in about $97,800 toward casino chips between March 20, 2022 and April 5, 2022. He cashed out $106,675 in casino chips over that same time period.
Omaha, Nebraska
The robbery
- First National Bank of Omaha
- April 28, 2022
- $163,560 stolen from bank, but later found abandoned and covered in red dye
The robbery of a First National Bank of Omaha branch in Omaha is the largest amount of money Babudar is accused of stealing at this time, but court documents show bank security had other plans.
Employees told police that a suspect with a gun ordered them to open the vault and cash drawers. The employees did as told and the suspect ran from the area.
First National Bank provided the following surveillance pictures that are also included in the court documents for the case.
According to the criminal complaint, Omaha police determined the stolen cash included a dye pack.
Police found all of the stolen money in a wooded area near the bank. The dye pack had exploded and the cash was covered in red dye.
Casino visits
- April 28, 2022 – July 9, 2022
- Bought $568,000 in chip purchases at casinos in Arizona, Missouri, and Illinois
- April 28, 2022 – July 9, 2022
- Redeemed casino chips totaling $662,900 at casinos in Missouri, Oklahoma, Arizona, and Illinois
Des Moines, Iowa
The robbery
- First Class Credit Union
- July 13, 2022
- $303,845 stolen in heist
Bank employees told investigators that the suspect with a black and silver pistol entered the bank and jumped over the counter. Court documents show the man demanded employees open the vault, which the employees did.
The suspect took the cash and ran from the bank.
The First Class Credit Union provided the following surveillance pictures, which were included in the court documents.
Suspicious transactions
The day after the robbery in Des Moines, court documents show Babudar made a transaction that investigators believe is suspicious.
- July 14, 2022
- Deposited $23,000 in cash into his Kansas City-area credit union account
- July 18, 2022
- Deposited $40,000 into his credit union account using a branch in the St. Louis area
Casino visits
- July 15
- Purchased $32,200 in casino chips from Ameristar in St. Charles, Mo.
- July 16
- Purchased $79,500 in casino chips from Ameristar in St. Charles, Mo
- July 17
- Purchased $20,000 in casino chips from Ameristar in St. Charles, Mo
- July 18 – Oct. 12
- Purchased $158,300 in casino chips
- July 13 – Oct. 12
- Redeemed $233,400 in casino chips
Nashville, Tennessee
The robbery
- Tennessee Federal Credit Union
- Nov. 17, 2022
- $125,900 stolen in heist
Bank employees reported that the robbery suspect climbed over the bank counter. He showed a black and silver gun and pressed it to the teller’s body. Court documents show Babudar demanded credit union employees take him to the vault.
Court documents show Babudar allegedly told employees that he could “come back and put a hole” in their head if the cash included a dye pack.
The suspect ran away from the credit union before police arrived.
The credit union provided the following surveillance pictures to investigators.
Casino visits
Court documents show Babudar made the following casino transactions following the robbery in Nashville:
- Nov. 18, 2022 — Dec. 7, 2022
- Bought chips at casinos in Missouri and Kansas totaling $130,000
- Ameristar Casino in St. Charles, Missouri
- Hollywood Casino in Kansas City, Kansas
- Harrah’s Casino in North Kansas City, Missouri
- Argosy Casino in Riverside, Misssouri
- Redeemed a total of $77,400 at casinos in Missouri and Illinois
- Harrah’s Casino in North Kansas City, Missouri
- Argosy Casino in Alton, Illinois
- Bought chips at casinos in Missouri and Kansas totaling $130,000
Savage, Minnesota
A trip to Minnesota included three robberies in two days, according to court documents in Babudar’s federal case.
The attempted robbery
- Wings Financial Credit Union
- Nov. 29, 2022
- No money stolen
Employees told investigators a robber entered the bank with a gun and demanded employees open the vault. According to court documents, when the suspect saw there were only small bills in the vault, he left without taking any cash.
Wings Financial Credit Union provided the following surveillance picture to the FBI.
Apple Valley, Minnesota
The attempted robbery
- Royal Credit Union
- Nov. 29, 2022
- No money stolen
After his robbery attempt in Savage, Babudar is accused of driving about 10 miles east to another credit union, this time in Apple Valley, Minnesota.
Employees told investigators that a suspect with a run entered the credit union and told them to open the vault. When the suspect noticed there were only small bills in the vault, he demanded $100 bills, according to court documents.
The suspect left the bank when employees said they didn’t keep $100 bills in the vault.
Royal Credit Union provided the following surveillance pictures to the FBI.
Clive, Iowa
The day after two failed bank robberies in Minnesota, court documents allege Babudar returned to Clive, Iowa, and targeted another bank.
The robbery
- First Interstate Bank
- Nov. 30, 2022
- $25,000 stolen in heist
Court documents show employees told investigators that the suspect entered the bank and jumped over the counter. He had a gun and ordered bank employees to open the vault.
He grabbed the cash and ran away from the bank.
The First Interstate Bank provided the FBI with the following surveillance picture.
Casino visits
A week after the robbery in Clive, Iowa, court records show Babudar is accused of buying $20,000 in casino chips from Harrah’s in North Kansas City. He is also accused of redeeming $32,000 in casino chips from Harrah’s on Dec. 8.
A week after the visit to that North Kansas City casino, Babudar ended up inside an Oklahoma jail.
Bixby, Oklahoma
The robbery
- Tulsa Teachers Federal Credit Union
- Dec. 16, 2022
- $150,250 stolen, but recovered during Babudar’s arrest
The credit union employees reported a man with a black handgun jumped the counter and ordered a bank employee to open the vault. During the robbery, court documents show Babudar threatened to shoot employees who did not comply wit his requests.
Babudar ran from the credit union carrying a plastic bag filled with thousands of dollars worth of stolen cash, according to court records.
Bixby police noticed Babudar trying to get away from the bank on a bicycle and tried to stop him. Officers eventually arrested Babudar while in possession of a plastic bag filled with stolen cash, a black BB gun, a black ski mask, reflective ski goggles, a pair of black and
yellow gloves, and a grey/green hooded sweatshirt.
The items match those in surveillance pictures provided by Tulsa Teachers Federal Credit Union.
Investigators located Babudar’s 2019 Mazda 3 parked in nearby Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Court documents show they found the following evidence inside the car:
- Barstool Sportsbook Betslip for $20,000, dated Nov. 19, 2022
- FanDuel Betslip for $4,000, dated Dec. 1, 2022
- Community America Credit Union (“CACU”) letter addressed to Babudar
pertaining to a $20,000 deposit, dated May 2, 2022 - CACU letter addressed to Babudar pertaining to a $50,000 deposit, dated May
2, 2022 - CACU letter addressed to Babudar confirming a change in contact information for
Babudar’s phone number. The letter to Babudar was dated Feb. 3, 2022
Other evidence
Federal prosecutors also have additional evidence to present.
After getting Babudar’s cell phone number, investigators tracked it through T-Mobile records. Court documents put Babudar’s cell phone near each of the above robberies on the days they happened. In some cases, documents show his phone pinged just minutes from the robbery locations.
There is also DNA evidence in the case.
DNA collected from a glove recovered at the Great Western Bank in Clive, Iowa, following a robbery on March 2, 2022, matched DNA collected from the hat recovered after the Nov. 17 robbery in Nashville.
Babudar made his initial court appearance this afternoon in federal court in Sacramento, California.
The case will be presented to a federal grand jury to determine whether to return an indictment on these or any additional charges.
