'Survivor' star Brandon Hantz arrested on racketeering, arson charges
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"Survivor" alum Brandon Hantz, who appeared twice on the show, has been arrested on charges of racketeering and arson.
In a grand jury indictment, returned Feb. 11 and unsealed Wednesday, attorneys in the Southern District of Texas charge Hantz with belonging to "an allegedly violent, transnational motorcycle gang" known as the Bandidos.
The ex-reality star was indicted alongside 13 other alleged Houston-area members, whose charges range from conspiracy to commit racketeering to murder, attempted murder and assault.
Hantz, whose exit from his second go-round on the show propelled him to fandom infamy, was 19 years old when he first appeared on "Survivor: South Pacific" in 2011. He lasted 36 days on the show. The nephew of previous "Survivor" villain Russell Hantz, his emotional meltdown during "Survivor: Caramoan" the following year led to a much earlier elimination.
Now 33, he faces up to 20 years in prison for his alleged involvement with the Bandidos. Referred to sometimes as "Gun Drop" or "Loco," according to a release from the Southern District of Texas, Hantz is the only defendant among the fourteen identified members charged with arson.
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The indictment alleges that, starting in 2019, the Bandidos and a rival Houston motorcycle gang B*EAST engaged in a violent turf war across Houston. An international organization with over 1,5000 members in both the U.S. and Mexico, the American leadership of the Bandidos allegedly released a "smash on site" order to carry out physical assaults, including murder, against B*EAST members.
The result has been gunfire exchanged in public spaces like roadways and public establishments where innocent civilians are present, the indictment alleges.
"The indictment here not only alleges shocking crimes of violence, but also alleges that these offenses were committed openly and wantonly, where any innocent member of the public could have been hurt or killed," U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei said in a release Wednesday.
"The Bandidos declare war on rivals — and they wage that war on our streets," Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department's Criminal Division said in the release. "Criminal behavior like this has no place in America, and the Department of Justice is fully committed to bringing peace back to our communities."
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