Steven Glenn Ryals, 72, also known as "Hot Tub" (Source: Lubbock County Jail)
LUBBOCK, Texas - The leader of a local outlaw motorcycle club was sentenced Friday to more than 11 years in federal prison for running a high-purity methamphetamine trafficking operation in West Texas, federal prosecutors said.
Biker club leader sentenced
Steven Glenn "Hot Tub" Ryals, 72, of Lubbock, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix. Ryals previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
What they're saying:
"Steven Ryals exploited his leadership of the Bandidos' Lubbock chapter to push high-purity methamphetamine into our community," U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould said in a statement. "Today's sentence sends a clear message: we will aggressively pursue those who traffic dangerous drugs and dismantle the drug distribution networks that threaten West Texans."
The backstory:
According to court documents, Ryals was the president of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club’s Lubbock Notorious Chapter and had been a member for more than 50 years. Federal law enforcement launched an investigation into Ryals and other members in early 2025 following reports of drug distribution in the area.
On Feb. 27, federal agents and local authorities executed a search warrant at the Bandidos clubhouse, which also served as Ryals' residence. Investigators recovered about 3.2 pounds of suspected methamphetamine inside a locked filing cabinet drawer, along with drug packaging tools and club paraphernalia. Additional methamphetamine was found in Ryals' bedroom closet and inside his vehicle during a traffic stop that same day.
Laboratory testing by the Drug Enforcement Administration confirmed the seized substance was nearly 1,450 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride at 98% purity — a quantity prosecutors said was consistent only with high-level distribution.
Dig deeper:
This is not Ryals' first federal drug conviction. Prosecutors noted that he was previously convicted of methamphetamine trafficking and received an identical 135-month prison sentence in 1999.
"Today’s sentence reflects the FBI’s continued commitment to protecting our communities from the dangers of high purity narcotics and the criminal networks that distribute them," said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock.
The investigation was conducted jointly by the FBI, the Lubbock Texas Anti-Gang Center, and the Caprock High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force, which includes federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen J. Rancourt prosecuted the case.
The Source: Information in this article is from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Texas.