
While there, the two witness Smoke and Ryder, along with Tenpenny and C.R.A.S.H. Mexican-American Varrios Los Aztecas gang leader Cesar Vialpando, boyfriend to Sweet's and Carl's sister Kendl, later phones Carl, asking him to come to an alleyway in Verdant Bluffs. Ryder meeting with T-Bone Mendez on Pier 69 in San Fierro shortly before his death, during Pier 69. The car explodes upon landing on the road below while the four, who had bailed out of the car, decide to go back home on their own. The two, however, later re-appear at the side of the motel and drive away from the pursuing police, driving the car through a Sprunk billboard. Sweet enters the motel on his own and, when the Los Santos Police Department ambush the meeting, Ryder and Smoke flee the scene in Sweet's Greenwood. Ryder, upon arriving with Sweet, Carl and Smoke, criticizes the non-Grove Street gangsters, which Carl and Sweet do not realize is an attack on the gang rather than the sub-sects. Sweet later arranges a meeting at the Jefferson Motel between the various sub-sects of the Grove Street Families, in an attempt to bring the factions back together to fight the Ballas. He also attends a party thrown by part-time gang member Jeffrey "OG Loc" Cross in Grove Street. Ryder is again seen when the four discuss the gangs weapons and later performs a number of drive-by shootings with the three in East Los Santos and Jefferson.

The four survive and destroy the Ballas car. Ryder also accompanies Carl, Sweet and Smoke to the Cluckin' Bell fast food restaurant in Willowfield, where they see a group Ballas attempt a drive-by shooting. Ryder also hires Carl to help him steal weapons from the house of Colonel Fuhrberger in East Beach, a weapons shipment from a train coming from Las Venturas and weapon crates from the National Guard Depot in Ocean Docks. Ryder later assists Carl to kill a drug dealer and then a number of Ballas gangsters who were associated with the dealer in a home in Idlewood. fast food restaurant in Idlewood, where he attempts to rob the store but is thwarted by the manager using a shotgun in self-defense. He begins to hire Carl to do various tasks, the first being to drive to The Well Stacked Pizza Co. Ryder continues his life as normal with the Grove Street Families, often being seen with Sweet and Carl. Smoke also refuses to shoot at a Ballas car performing a drive-by shooting, claiming he did not wish to waste the food they had just ordered, although Ryder does start shooting the Ballas. The three are briefly followed again by a Ballas car, although the Ballas do not aim their guns at Smoke and Ryder due to their alliance, a fact missed by the Johnson brothers. The four cycle to Mulholland Intersection where Sweet breaks away from the group, drawing the Ballas vehicle, allowing Carl, Smoke and Ryder to escape. Carl, Sweet, Smoke and Ryder then use bicycles to flee the area. Carl meets Ryder again shortly after her funeral where they are attacked by a group of Ballas gangsters performing a drive-by shooting, destroying Smoke's vehicle.

Ryder and Smoke also played a part in the murder of Sweet's mother Beverly Johnson, which was committed by the Ballas using a green Sabre, although they were aiming for Sweet.īeverly's death brings Carl back to Los Santos from Liberty City. The alliance is later expanded to include the Los Santos Vagos and Russian Mafia, while another was established with the Loco Syndicate, who began supplying the new alliance with drugs from their base in San Fierro, although they do not realize that an undercover government agent is involved in the operation. officer Frank Tenpenny, but failed, later meeting Ryder in his house where he convinces him to join his newly formed alliance with the Ballas. Smoke attempted to convince Sweet about the benefits of selling drugs, having secretly formed an alliance with the Ballas under duress from corrupt C.R.A.S.H. Later, the Grove Street Families, however, began to lose influence, power and money to their arch rivals, the Ballas, due to their stance against the sale of drugs, which was fueling the Ballas' rise to prominence. He rose up the ranks of the gang before becoming one of Sweet's closest allies alongside childhood friend Melvin "Big Smoke" Harris, being helped by Carl's departure in 1987 following his brother Brian Johnson's death. He was once thrown out of school for beating up a teacher who was wearing Ballas colours, although Ryder claims this was because he was too intelligent for school.

Ryder was born in Los Santos, likely in Ganton due to his close relationship with brothers and gang leaders Sean "Sweet" Johnson and Carl "CJ" Johnson, and he later became a member of the Grove Street Families.
