Ryan Nichols

Ryan Nichols is from East Texas. Father of two young boys, Ryan Jr. and Blake — both attended Longview Christian School. Brother, uncle, and son.

He graduated with honors from Harleton High School in 2009. A dedicated athlete — captain of the baseball team, all-district linebacker in football, and a powerlifting medalist in his weight division. He attended Howard Payne University and East Texas Baptist University as a student athlete and played college football for one year.

Marine Corps

He cut his college education short to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps in 2010, to serve his country during a time of two wars. He served four years on active duty.

Two of those years were at the 9th Communications Battalion in Okinawa, Japan. He managed 30+ Marines and millions of dollars in communication equipment and was a go-to noncommissioned officer within the platoon — leading classes, physical training, and being trusted with the work that needed to get done. He served on the Auxiliary Security Forces in Okinawa. On the week of the 10th anniversary of 9/11, a man threatened to blow up the base. Ryan calmed the threat down and held the situation until the head of base security arrived.

He spent one year at Camp Pendleton with 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines. During ITX 2013 — the largest deployment readiness training the Marine Corps runs — he stepped outside his MOS to set up base communications and ran heavy equipment establishing berms and lines of open roads for an entire battalion. He worked alongside U.S. forces and partner nations from around the world.

He was honorably discharged as a noncommissioned officer in 2014. Awards: Good Conduct Medal, 4th award Rifle Expert, Global War on Terrorism Medal, National Defense Medal, and Overseas Service Ribbon.

Family and faith

Ryan is an active member of Mobberly Baptist Church. In his younger years he taught Sunday School for the youth at multiple churches alongside his father, Pastor Don Nichols.

Wholesale Universe

Ryan is the founder of Wholesale Universe, a multi-million-dollar wholesale and retail business that employs 10–18 people. He built it from scratch. Ryan consults and coaches other business owners — managing and scaling effectively — and offers free online training and local seminars for 2,000–3,000 enrolled students learning e-commerce on Amazon, Poshmark, eBay, and other platforms.

The business houses relief supplies in its warehouse and regularly donates to the Highway 80 Rescue Mission, The Women's Shelter, and heavy coats for the homeless in Dallas during freezing temperatures. During COVID, Ryan paid his staff to take time off so they could participate in rescue relief through Rescue the Universe.

Rescue the Universe

Ryan founded Rescue the Universe, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that donated to multiple charities. Before its social platform was taken down, the Facebook page had over 25,000 followers, subscribers, and financial contributors.

He has participated in more than two dozen hurricane rescues and disaster relief efforts — saving lives, providing relief supplies, and showing up where help was needed. His first hurricane rescue was at age 13, during Katrina. While serving in the Marines in Okinawa, he was on the ground for four typhoons, most notably Super Typhoon Jelawat.

Hurricane Harvey (2017) — his first hurricane as a civilian. He and a team raised over $30,000 in supplies — a boat, motor, diapers, food, formula, water — for families in dire straits.

Hurricane Florence (2018) — Ryan drove over 2,000 miles and led water rescues for dozens of women, infants, elderly, disabled, and animals — boating them out to safety with or without their owners.

Hurricane Michael (2018) — Ryan worked alongside U.S. Coast Guard in Panama City, Florida on Med-Evac helicopter rescues, guiding rescue swimmers to the ground via his phone. He and his father Don performed a search and rescue for an eight-months-pregnant woman whose home had collapsed completely on top of her.

Hurricane Barry (2019) — Rescue the Universe teamed with Cajun Navy 2016 in Jeanerette, Louisiana.

Hurricane Dorian (2019) — Ryan and Alex cleared roads for first responders in the Carolinas.

Tropical Storm Imelda (2019) — high-water horse rescue for a Texas State Trooper in Vidor, Texas; led trained horses to safety; rescued an elderly bedridden man and his disabled family.

Tropical Storm Cristobal (2020) — Louisiana and Biloxi. One of the first teams on scene when a missing husband and wife were found floating in Lake Pontchartrain after 24 hours. Rescued 20–30+ people from flooded roads.

Hurricanes Arthur and Hanna (2020) — pulled people and vehicles from ditches as the eyewall was hitting.

Hurricane Laura (2020) — welfare checks and cleanup. Connected distraught mothers in south Louisiana with their stranded children.

Hurricane Sally (2020) — worked with the City of Orange firefighters in Foley, Alabama and rescued 50+ people in a single day on video. Many were babies, children, and elderly. Removed a near-death man from a collapsed building.

Ryan and Alex also storm-chased alongside meteorologist Reed Timmer, alerting local radio stations and communities to impending disasters, then assisting each community with search, rescue, recovery, and supplies — Post, TX (an elderly couple rescued from a collapsed roof, funds raised to rebuild their home), Panola, TX, Hughes Springs, TX, Oklahoma, Kansas, and beyond.

Recognition

Ryan was recognized by Ellen DeGeneres on The Ellen Show for search and rescue during Hurricane Florence. Ellen sponsored Rescue the Universe with a donation that funded a new rescue boat, and donated $25,000 to the Animal Humane Society in his honor. 1 Love 4 Animals flew Ryan to Pennsylvania for a follow-up event that raised thousands of dollars for rescued animals.

He has also been recognized on A&E, the Weather Channel (for tornado and natural disaster search and rescue), ABC News with David Muir, Daily Mail, KLTV, RUPTLY USA, The Big Bid Theory, and many other news outlets for his volunteer disaster-relief work. He worked with The Cajun Navy on multiple hurricane search and recovery missions.

The man, off the news

Ryan is a homeowner and a proud veteran honored to have served his country during a time of multiple wars. He is also a former realtor at Texas Real Estate Executives.

Most importantly, Ryan is a loving family man. He spends his time fishing, dancing, playing video games, and going on adventures with his kids. He strives to be a positive influence and role model for his boys — to help them find their purpose and passions by showing up to be all you can be. Ryan shares his passion for serving with his oldest son Ryan Jr., spreading small acts of kindness in the local community.

Ryan not only seeks to help others, he seeks to grow himself — self-help and coaching in every area of his life: personal, spiritual, relationship, physical, financial.

What the arrest did to his family

Since Ryan's arrest, his sons — Ryan Jr. and Blake — have endured a traumatizing experience having their father, their role model, their best friend ripped from their lives. They struggled in school, struggled to sleep, struggled to express their emotions and the pain it caused their little hearts. They began counseling. They told the counselor they feared they may never see their dad again, and found it hard to talk about because they didn't want to hurt mom.

Ryan Jr. expressed anger, fear, and anxiety. His grades dropped to the low 70s — from being a straight-A student — and he refused to do his work, daydreamed, and cried. He said "because life is too hard" to manage. Blake, age 5, said "Mom, am I ever going to see my dad again? I forgot what he looks like."

Every night before bedtime they say a prayer, and a 5-year-old asks Jesus to help bring his daddy home one day.

Who he is

Ryan is a loving father, son, and friend. He is always looking for ways to make an impact — big or small — by helping others, even strangers, through tough times. A go-to person who can listen, empathize, and look for solutions to any problem someone faces. From stopping to help a stranger change a tire, to driving thousands of miles across country to save lives.

His love for his family and children, and his selflessness to run into natural disasters to rescue people and animals, is a true testament to his character.

— Bonnie Nichols, filed as Exhibit 288 in United States v. Nichols, December 14, 2021.