A Lubbock resident who leads the Bandidos Motorcycle Club’s local chapter has been charged with federal drug offenses related to methamphetamine distribution, according to an announcement from United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Steven Glenn Ryals, 74, also known as “Hot Tub,” was charged by federal complaint on March 2, 2026. He faces allegations of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Ryals made his initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Lubbock on the same day and remains in custody while awaiting further court proceedings. If convicted, he could face up to twenty years in federal prison.
The complaint states that law enforcement began investigating Ryals and other members of the Banditos Notorious Chapter in early 2025 due to suspicions of methamphetamine trafficking in the Lubbock area. On February 27, 2026, agents executed a search warrant at the Banditos Notorious clubhouse, which also served as Ryals’s residence. During the search, authorities found about 3.2 pounds of suspected methamphetamine inside a locked drawer within a wooden filing cabinet located in an office. Nearby was another cabinet containing paraphernalia associated with Ryals’ membership in the motorcycle club.
Elsewhere in the office, agents discovered items often linked to drug distribution such as small plastic baggies, digital scales, and a hidden compartment built into a bookshelf.
The investigation involved several agencies: the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Lubbock Texas Anti-Gang Center; Caprock Hi-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA); and members from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Texas Department of Public Safety; Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office; and Lubbock Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Rancourt is handling prosecution.
“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,” officials stated.
