'Survivor' alum Brandon Hantz charged in indictment against Bandidos motorcycle gang

“Survivor” alum Brandon K. Hantz is facing racketeering and arson charges aft being named successful a national indictment connected to a violent, transnational motorcycle gang successful confederate Texas.

The erstwhile world prima was indicted successful Houston on with 13 different existent and erstwhile members of the Bandidos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang and Mascareros Motorcycle Club, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas, said Wednesday successful a statement. The 22-count indictment, unsealed Feb. 11, alleges that the Bandidos, a self-identified “outlaw” motorcycle organization, allegedly engaged successful a conspiracy to perpetrate racketeering enactment and committed convulsive crimes, including murder, attempted execution and assault.

Hantz, 33, besides known arsenic Loco and Gun Drop, is charged with conspiracy to perpetrate racketeering activity, arsenic good arsenic arson. If convicted, helium could look up to 20 years connected each count.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the indictment is “an important measurement successful eliminating” the Bandidos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang.

“The Bandidos state warfare connected rivals — and they wage that warfare connected our streets,” Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division said successful the quality release. “Criminal behaviour similar this has nary spot successful America, and the Department of Justice is afloat committed to bringing bid backmost to our communities.”

The indictment alleges a convulsive turf warfare erupted successful 2019 betwixt the Bandidos and B*EAST, a rival motorcycle gang, successful the Houston area. Federal prosecutors allege that the Bandidos’ nationalist enactment allegedly enactment retired a “smash connected site” bid to perpetrate carnal assaults, including murder, against B*EAST members. The turf war, they said, resulted successful gunfire exchanged connected nationalist roadways and successful nationalist establishments with civilians present.

“Ensuring the information of the nationalist is SDTX’s paramount concern,” U.S. Atty Nicholas J. Ganjei said. “The indictment present not lone alleges shocking crimes of violence, but besides alleges that these offenses were committed openly and wantonly, wherever immoderate guiltless subordinate of the nationalist could person been wounded oregon killed.”

The Bandidos allegedly person astir 1,500 to 2,000 members successful the United States and an further 1,000 to 1,500 members internationally, including successful Mexico, according to the the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Several of the individuals named successful the indictment are expected to marque an archetypal quality earlier U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Hanovice Palermo connected Wednesday astatine 2 p.m. It is not yet wide if Hantz volition beryllium among them. Representatives for the DOJ did not instantly respond to requests for confirmation.

Hantz, the nephew of notorious “Survivor” villain Russell Hantz, is from Crosby, Texas, and appeared successful Season 23 of “Survivor: South Pacific” successful 2011 and successful Season 26 of “Survivor: Caramoan” successful 2013. In the second season, helium infamously dumped his tribe’s nutrient reserves aft an altercation with different formed member. According to TMZ, a household subordinate said Hantz’s location was raided Wednesday by the FBI and that helium near the Bandidos past year.