KANSAS CITY, Missouri – Chiefs superfan Xaviar Babudar was sentenced Thursday to 17.5 years in prison without parole and three years of probation for committing a series of armed bank robberies across the United States.

Babudar, widely known as ChiefsAholic, entered into a deal in February in which he admitted to stealing more than $800,000 in 11 robberies in seven states and laundering the proceeds through casinos. He pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery, one count of money laundering and one count of transporting stolen property across state lines.

Babudar, 30, dressed head to toe in a gray wolf costume, was a fixture at Chiefs games for years and was adored by fans at Arrowhead Stadium and on social media, where he built the image of a hard-working, generous bachelor.

In court documents filed last week, prosecutors said Babudar was able to attend Chiefs games and build a reputation as the ChiefsAholic because he staged a robbery spree that began in March 2022 and lasted 16 months.

Wearing a yellow prison jumpsuit and handcuffs during his sentencing in District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Babudar apologized to his victims, to Kansas City, which he called home, and to his mother and brother. He blew them a kiss as he left the courtroom.

Babudar’s attorney Matthew Merryman said Babudar’s robberies were motivated by a gambling addiction. Patrick Daly, lead trial attorney for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, disagreed.

“It’s not a gambling addiction. It’s not a Chiefs addiction,” he said. “It’s a fame addiction.”

Prosecutors cited the testimony of a robbery victim who wrote: “My team did not deserve to be threatened at gunpoint twice so that a man in a wolf costume could travel around the country watching football and placing extravagant bets.”

According to court documents, Babudar told a Nashville credit union employee that he would “blow your brains out” and that if they gave him a pack of paint, he would “come back and put a bullet in your head.”

In a separate document, Merryman wrote that Babudar feels remorse, hopes to train as a mechanic and wants to help others struggling with gambling addiction.

An ESPN investigation found that Babudar had a difficult childhood, had a history of legal troubles, and that much of what he posted about himself on social media was untrue. Merryman wrote in a letter that Babudar had experienced traumatic experiences during his childhood and was constantly homeless.

Babudar’s secret life came to light on December 16, 2022, when police in Bixby, Oklahoma, arrested him as he fled an armed robbery at the Tulsa Teachers Credit Union. He was released on bail in February 2023, and a month later – after winning $100,000 on two bets on the Chiefs – he turned off his GPS monitor and fled.

Babudar eluded authorities for nearly four months, robbing banks in Sparks, Nevada, and El Dorado Hills, California while on the run. He was arrested in Lincoln, California on July 7, 2023.

In a court filing, Merryman argued that Babudar should be sentenced to 10 years in prison to give him time to make amends for his mistakes.

“Because of his quasi-celebrity status, Xaviar is in a unique position to potentially recover the financial losses caused by his actions,” Merryman wrote.

Babudar must pay $532,455 in restitution and surrender property he obtained through his crimes, including a signed painting of quarterback Patrick Mahomes that he bought at a charity auction and that was seized by the FBI in Kansas City. In April, a judge ordered Babudar to pay $10.8 million to the Bixby cashier he threatened with a gun.

Babudar, who is awaiting sentencing at the Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary in Kansas, requested to be placed at the Greenville Federal Penitentiary in Illinois.