‘Survivor’ Alum Brandon Hantz Arrested for Arson, Racketeering, Faces 40 Years in Prison

Former Survivor contestant Brandon Hantz has found himself in serious legal trouble as part of a federal investigation into a violent motorcycle gang. The 33-year-old reality TV star faces up to 40 years in prison after being indicted on charges of racketeering conspiracy and arson in Texas.

According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly and filed Feb. 11 in the Southern District of Texas, Hantz was among 14 defendants named in a 22-count indictment connected to the Bandidos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang. The former reality star, who allegedly went by the nicknames “Loco” and “Gun Drop,” is accused of participating in the gang’s criminal activities. Each charge carries a $100 special assessment.

“Ensuring the safety of the public is SDTX’s paramount concern,” U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei said in a statement. “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.”

The Bandidos, described as a transnational criminal organization, operates in “at least 20 countries” with “approximately 1,500 to 2,000 members in the United States and an additional 1,000 to 1,500 members internationally.” Members are identified by their leather or jean vests featuring patches reading “I support Bandidos Worldwide” and must own Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The group allegedly engaged in “acts of violence, namely, acts involving murder, robbery, arson, narcotics distribution and witness intimidation.”

“The Bandidos declare war on rivals — and they wage that war on our streets,” stated Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division in the news 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.”

Court documents allege Hantz participated in a February 2023 incident at Bimboz Bar and Grill, where Bandidos members reportedly “aided and abetted the assault of 14 members” of a rival gang called Greybeard MC. The indictment is part of a larger investigation into a violent turf war that erupted in 2019 between the Bandidos and another rival gang, B*EAST, in the Houston area, which resulted in “gunfire exchanged on public roadways and in public establishments with civilians present.”

Hantz first appeared on television in Survivor: South Pacific (2011) as the nephew of notorious contestant Russell Hantz, presenting himself as a born-again Christian seeking to redeem his family name. During his initial season, he made it to the final five after giving up his immunity necklace, resulting in his elimination. He returned for Survivor: Caramoan in 2013, where he made headlines for a dramatic exit that included dumping his tribe’s rice rations during a conflict with fellow contestant Phillip Sheppard, leading to an unprecedented verbal elimination without a formal Tribal Council.

According to TMZ, the FBI raided Hantz’s home, and a family member claimed he had left the gang last year. The case continues to develop as defendants prepare for their initial court appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Hanovice Palermo.