Chiefs super-fan who allegedly robbed banks to support his habit is subject of ESPN documentary

ESPN announced Thursday morning that they will be releasing a new documentary next week detailing the alleged crimes and search for Xaviar Babudar, better known as the Kansas City Chiefs superfan ‘ChiefsAholic‘. It will be a 40-minute special airing on ESPN+ titled “Where Wolf: The Search for ChiefsAholic.“

The announcement came with a trailer as well.

CHILLS! CHILLS!

This looks awesome! I’m excited. I hope you are too. Here’s what we know about the situation so far.

What was ChiefsAholic accused of?

Babudar was wanted in eight states. After authorities accused him of robbing several banks, Babudar was arrested in Sacramento, California on July 7. On August 16, Babudar was indicted by a federal grand jury on a grand total of 19 federal charges revolving around bank robberies — three counts of armed bank robbery, one count of bank theft, 11 counts of money laundering, and four counts of transporting stolen property across state lines.

Prosecutors said Babudar would often spend the money from his robberies betting on NFL games, particularly the Chiefs.

Babudar has found himself on the wrong side of criminal allegations multiple times before, though. Near the end of 2022, Babudar was arrested after a credit union in Tulsa, Oklahoma was robbed. He was charged with robbery with a firearm, assault while masked or disguised, possession of a firearm in commission of a felony, and threatening a violent act. Babudar would eventually be released though, after posting his $80,000 bail on Feb. 11.

Story continues

Who will be featured in the documentary?

Based on the trailer alone, we can tell that Babudar, as well as his attorney Matthew Merryman, will be key interviews throughout the documentary. It is also clear that several Chiefs fans will be interviewed to discuss their interactions with ChiefsAholic at games. It is very likely that presenters of the Chiefs PR team could be interviewed as well given how big a part of Chiefs culture Babudar was.

How big a Chiefs fan was Babudar?

The biggest.

You can hear in the trailer that ESPN posted about how other Chiefs fans envisioned him. He was the “poster child for Chiefs fans”, the quintessential model, if you will. He went viral for his famous wolf costume and his fanatical love for his team, amassing tons of adoration, fans, and followers across social media.

He was also a heavy gambler, prosecutors said, and loved nothing more than to bet on the Chiefs. According to an affidavit filed in federal court, he purchased over $1 million in chips from casinos across Missouri, Kansas, and Illinois between April and December 2022. The money he spent on those chips was acquired through bank robberies in Iowa, Nebraska, and Tennessee, prosecutors said.

Babudar would take that money and use it to gamble on Chiefs future bets, according to court records. Most notably, he wagered $10,000 on the Chiefs winning Super Bowl 57 and Mahomes winning MVP. He earned $100,000 off that bet alone.

That Super Bowl took place on February 12. If you remember, he was released on bail on February 11. After winning the money, Babudar reportedly cut off his ankle monitor and made for the hills. That was the last time his whereabouts were known until his July arrest.

NFL Week 11 picks: Eagles or Chiefs in Super Bowl 57 rematch?

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: ChiefsAholic Xavier Babudar’s ESPN doc focuses on fandom, allegations

Comments are closed.