Latest news with #BrandonHantz
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Survivor's Brandon Hantz Arrested for Alleged Gang Activities
Well, here's one person we know for sure won't be on Survivor 50. Former castaway Brandon Hantz just got arrested for some serious charges, and the feds are accusing him of being a part of a motorcycle gang responsible for violent crime across Texas. If convicted, he could face up to 40 years in prison. Survivor fans will remember Brandon from his appearances on Survivor: South Pacific and Survivor: Caramoan. He's also the nephew of notorious Survivor villain Russell Hantz. With these latest allegations, Brandon is taking the term 'villain' to a whole different level. According to TMZ, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas hit Brandon and 13 others with a 22-count indictment. Allegedly, they're all a part of some motorcycle gang called the Bandidos. They've been roaming around Texas wreaking havoc. In the indictment, the Bandidos were said to have an intense rivalry with another gang called B*EAST. This isn't the fun type of beef between tribes like you'd see on Survivor. Supposedly, these gangs were ordered to assault each other on sight. In some cases, they were told to murder members of the rival gang when they crossed them. Although some of the Bandidos have been hit with murder and assault allegations, Brandon is facing relatively lesser charges. He has one charge of racketeering conspiracy and another for arson. It's not quite murder, but each count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years. TMZ spoke with a federal law enforcement source, who said that Brandon's home was also raided by the FBI amid the indictment. However, his family claims that Brandon left the gang last year. Stay tuned to see what a judge has to say about that. Survivor is streaming on Paramount+. TELL US – DO YOU REMEMBER BRANDON FROM SURVIVOR? ARE YOU SURPRISED BY THE SERIOUS CHARGES HE'S FACING? The post Survivor's Brandon Hantz Arrested for Alleged Gang Activities appeared first on Reality Tea.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Former Survivor star Brandon Hantz arrested on arson and racketeering charges
A former Survivor player may be facing jail time. Brandon Hantz, who competed in both season 23 and season 26 of the popular CBS competition show, is one of 14 people out of a 3,500-person biker gang that was indicted by a federal grand jury in Houston, Texas on Wednesday. Hantz is allegedly a member of the Bandidos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang and was charged with conspiracy to commit racketeering activity and arson related to an alleged turf war that began in 2019 with a rival biker gang. Hantz faces up to 40 years in prison as both charges carry possible sentences of around 20 years. On Thursday some of the indicted men will be making their first appearance in front of a judge, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office. It is not known if Hantz will be among them. Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department's Criminal Division said in a statement on Wednesday: 'Today's indictment is an important step in eliminating the Bandidos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang.' 'The Bandidos declare war on rivals — and they wage that war on our streets. Criminal behavior like this has no place in America, and the Department of Justice is fully committed to bringing peace back to our communities.' Throughout Hantz's time on Survivor, he was often associated with his uncle Russell Hantz who is regarded as one of the show's biggest villains. During his first season, he made it to day 36 out of 39 and was the 15th contestant voted off the island. However, during his second season on the show, he ended up making a dramatic exit after bursting out in a fit of rage and dumping his tribe's food supply of rice and beans. His tribe consequently decided to forfeit their immunity challenge to vote Hantz out at the next elimination. Hantz then had another outburst at the challenge, causing his unprecedented early elimination. Following his last episode, the reality TV star denied having 'mental problems' in an interview with People. 'No one out there was in danger; I wasn't going to hurt myself or anyone else,' he told the outlet back in 2013. 'But if you get personal with me, I will push back.' He continued: 'People say that it's hard to watch, but I'm proud of myself and how I left the game. I don't know why people want to assume that something's wrong. I don't have mental problems.' He compared his decision to dump his team's food to 'road rage' and clarified that it wasn't planned. 'I can see why they were upset about it. It wasn't premeditated,' he said.
The Independent
20-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Former Survivor star Brandon Hantz arrested on arson and racketeering charges
A former Survivor player may be facing jail time. Brandon Hantz, who competed in both season 23 and season 26 of the popular CBS competition show, is one of 14 people out of a 3,500-person biker gang that was indicted by a federal grand jury in Houston, Texas on Wednesday. Hantz is allegedly a member of the Bandidos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang and was charged with conspiracy to commit racketeering activity and arson related to an alleged turf war that began in 2019 with a rival biker gang. Hantz faces up to 40 years in prison as both charges carry possible sentences of around 20 years. On Thursday some of the indicted men will be making their first appearance in front of a judge, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office. It is not known if Hantz will be among them. Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department's Criminal Division said in a statement on Wednesday: 'Today's indictment is an important step in eliminating the Bandidos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang.' 'The Bandidos declare war on rivals — and they wage that war on our streets. Criminal behavior like this has no place in America, and the Department of Justice is fully committed to bringing peace back to our communities.' Throughout Hantz's time on Survivor, he was often associated with his uncle Russell Hantz who is regarded as one of the show's biggest villains. During his first season, he made it to day 36 out of 39 and was the 15th contestant voted off the island. However, during his second season on the show, he ended up making a dramatic exit after bursting out in a fit of rage and dumping his tribe's food supply of rice and beans. His tribe consequently decided to forfeit their immunity challenge to vote Hantz out at the next elimination. Hantz then had another outburst at the challenge, causing his unprecedented early elimination. People. 'No one out there was in danger; I wasn't going to hurt myself or anyone else,' he told the outlet back in 2013. 'But if you get personal with me, I will push back.' He continued: 'People say that it's hard to watch, but I'm proud of myself and how I left the game. I don't know why people want to assume that something's wrong. I don't have mental problems.' He compared his decision to dump his team's food to 'road rage' and clarified that it wasn't planned. 'I can see why they were upset about it. It wasn't premeditated,' he said.
USA Today
20-02-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
'Survivor' star Brandon Hantz arrested on racketeering, arson charges
Hear this story "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. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. 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."
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Two-Time 'Survivor' Player Arrested on Charges of Racketeering and Arson During Gang Takedown
When Brandon Hantz took his final bow on his second Survivor season, he declared that he was "the author of his own fate." But when it comes to outside of the game, it will be a judge who ultimately determines it, as the 33-year-old could face up to 40 years in prison for racketeering and arson. The news was first reported by TMZ, who wrote, "The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas unsealed a 22-count indictment Wednesday charging Hantz and 13 others with a variety of crimes ... alleging they're all members or associates of the Bandidos motorcycle gang in the state." Prosecutors say the Bandidos are currently in a turf war with fellow gang B*EAST, and were operating under a "smash on site" order to murder any members of their rivals. 🎬 🎬 Hantz–who goes by the nicknames "Loco" and "Gun Drop" according to the DOJ–was not accused of any murder associated with the Bandidos (which he had apparently left last year). But he was arrested under counts of arson and racketeering, each of which could earn him a sentence of 20 years in prison. Sources say the FBI raided his home on Feb. 19. Related: Hantz first appeared on the CBS reality show during its 23rd season, South Pacific. At only 19 years old, he hoped to continue the legacy of his family name. Brandon is the nephew of Russell Hantz, star of Seasons 19, 20, and 22, credited as one of the biggest villains and best players ever. While Hantz initially hid his family secret, he eventually let his true lineage be known. In Season 23, he made it all the way to the penultimate episode, where his tribemates exploited his susceptible morality to give up immunity, then vote him out in the process. Related: But Survivor was not quite done with the Hantz family. Three seasons later, Brandon returned to the show as part of the "Favorites" tribe in Caramoan. Early on, Hantz developed a rivalry with fellow returnee Phillip Sheppard, feeling belittled by him. As the days wore on, things built to a boiling point, culminating in Hantz pouring out the tribe's food rations, and threatening to urinate on them. His emotional state poured over into the next challenge, where he had a public outburst in front of everyone in the game. As a result, Hantz was effectively ejected from the game, as the rest of his tribe elected to forfeit the challenge and vote him out right on the spot. No further information is available at this time as to Brandon Hantz's arrest, and when he could possibly be facing trial.
