Kansas City Chiefs Superfan Admits to Casino Money Laundering Scheme
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:Xaviar Michael Babudar, a Kansas City Chiefs superfan, pleaded guilty in federal court to a series of bank robberies spanning seven states. He confirmed that he laundered the money through casinos and sportsbooks to cover his tracks.
Superfan Turned Super Criminal
The 29-year-old Babudar, in order to get a reduced sentence, admitted to one count of money laundering and one count of transporting stolen property across state lines. He also pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery in a separate case filed in the Northern District of Oklahoma, according to a Department of Justice press release.Babudar also confessed to robbing two additional banks while he was a fugitive from justice. He admitted to stealing $70,000 from an Iowa branch of Great Western Bank on March 2, 2022, leaving behind a glove and approximately $1,420 near the bank. The glove provided crucial DNA evidence.
Additionally, Babudar pleaded guilty to stealing $139,500 from Tulsa Teachers Federal Credit Union in Bixby, OK. Authorities arrested him in Oklahoma in December 2022 and he was released on bond two months later.
Babudar could be sentenced to up to 50 years in a federal prison without the possibility of parole. His sentence will be handed down on July 10 following a US Probation Office presentence investigation.
Scoring with the Super Bowl
Not long before his arrest, Babudar placed two bets at the Argosy Casino in Alton, IL. He bet $5,000 that Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes would win MVP at Super Bowl LVII, with a potential payout of $45,000. He also bet $5,000 that the Chiefs would win Super Bowl LVII, with a potential payout of $55,000.
When the Chiefs won the game and Mahomes won MVP, Babudar collected $100,000 from Argosy Casino. It has already confirmed that it mailed him a check in that the following month.
Shortly after he received the check, Babudar removed his ankle monitor and illegally left Oklahoma. The DOJ press release adds that he used his Super Bowl winnings to purchase a car in Nevada, and evade attempts to capture him. He was finally re-arrested in Sacramento, CA, last July.
As part of his sentence, Babudar must repay over $532,000 to the banks he robbed. He will also have to forfeit any property that he may have purchased or earned through money laundering. Among the items already identified is an autographed painting of Mahomes that has been recovered by the FBI.
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