Lubbock Chapter President of the Banditos Motorcycle Club Charged with Methamphetamine Distribution (DOJ)

A Lubbock man and chapter president of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club was federally charged for his role in possessing large quantities of methamphetamine for distribution, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Steven Glenn Ryals, 74, of Lubbock, Texas, also known as "Hot Tub," was charged by federal complaint on March 2, 2026, with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Ryals appeared before a United States Magistrate Judge in Lubbock that same day for his initial appearance on the charges. He remains in federal custody pending further court proceedings. If convicted, Ryals faces a statutory maximum sentence of twenty years in federal prison.

According to the complaint, in early 2025, law enforcement agents initiated an investigation into Ryals, who was the Banditos Notorious Chapter President, and other Banditos members suspected of methamphetamine trafficking the Lubbock area. On February 27, 2026, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant for the Banditos Notorious clubhouse, which was also Ryals's residence. Inside an office, agents located approximately 3.2 pounds of suspected methamphetamine inside a locked drawer of a wooden filing cabinet. Next to the cabinet was another cabinet containing Ryals' BMC paraphernalia, as depicted below:

In other areas of the office, agents found multiple items commonly used in the distribution of controlled substances, including numerous small plastic baggies, digital scales, and a concealed compartment located inside a bookshelf.

This investigation was a joint operation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Lubbock Texas Anti-Gang Center, and Caprock Hi-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). The Texas Anti-Gang Center is composed of agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Lubbock County Sheriff's Office, and the Lubbock Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Rancourt is prosecuting the case.

A complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.