Effectively, it is definitely an auspicious technique to start a much-hyped title protection.
Thursday was a banner evening for the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs and the opening evening of the 2024 NFL common season — sometimes a time of celebration for soccer followers and sports activities bettors alike.
Thursday was additionally the day a infamous Chiefs tremendous fan was sentenced to 17.5 years in jail.
Xaviar Babudar, referred to as “ChiefsAholic” to many NFL followers, was sentenced by a federal choose on Thursday morning, KCTV reported.
“Babudal pleaded responsible in February earlier than U.S. District Decide Howard Sachs to at least one depend of cash laundering and one depend of interstate transportation of stolen property,” the outlet reported.
“Babudar additionally pleaded responsible to at least one depend of financial institution theft for robbing a credit score union close to Tulsa.
“These fees are associated to 11 financial institution robberies or tried robberies in seven states.”
Opening Evening: Chiefs superfan Xaviar Babudar was at present sentenced to 17.5 years in jail with out parole and three years of supervised launch for committing a sequence of armed financial institution robberies throughout the USA https://t.co/mv4wJ97bGv
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 5, 2024
In line with ESPN, the 17.5-year sentence doesn’t embrace parole.
It does, nevertheless, embrace three years of supervised launch.
Babudar stole “greater than $800,000” throughout his escapades and “laundered the cash by the on line casino.”
Earlier than his legal conduct got here to mild, “Chiefs Aholic” was truly a beloved member of the Kansas Metropolis sports activities neighborhood.
Typically donning a grey wolf costume, the 30-year-old Babdar grew to become a beloved member of the “Kingdom of Chiefs” and “cultivated a picture as a hard-working, beneficiant bachelor,” in line with ESPN.
Babudar’s lawyer, Matthew Merriman, believes that standing provides his shopper a novel alternative to pay for his crimes.
“Due to his quasi-celebrity standing, Xavier is in a novel place to doubtlessly repay the monetary losses attributable to his actions,” Merriman mentioned.
Babudar’s attorneys additionally tried to characterize the crime spree as a playing habit, however Patrick Daly, senior litigation counsel for the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace, strongly disagreed with that evaluation.
“This isn’t a playing habit. This isn’t an habit to the Chiefs,” Dailey mentioned. “It is an habit to fame.”
Whereas Babudar is the one one to be sentenced, he isn’t the one Chiefs fan to hit the headlines in latest months.
Many individuals already know music czar Taylor Swift, who frequently cheers for the Chiefs and her boyfriend (star tight finish Travis Kelce) — which normally A lot to the chagrin of NFL followers.
Extra severely, Chiefs superfan Holden Armenta, then 9, was unknowingly thrust into the highlight when the liberal sports activities web site Deadspin falsely accused him of carrying blackface.
The younger fan – who was broadly condemned for the alleged blackface – then wore crimson and black face paint to help the Chiefs.
Amid all of the noise, the Chiefs kicked off the NFL season with a tricky take a look at towards the gifted Baltimore Ravens.
This text initially appeared in Western Every day Information.
