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The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Texas announced on Friday, April 25, that Lyndell “Lynn” Price, the former owner of the shuttered Third Ward restaurant Turkey Leg Hut, has been arrested and faces three federal charges related to a bar explosion that happened in 2020.
Price, who now owns the Oyster Hut — an oyster-focused spin-off of the Turkey Leg Hut — was charged with arson, conspiracy to commit arson of a commercial building, and conspiracy to use an interstate facility to commit arson of a vehicle, according to the attorney’s office. Two other men, Armani Williams and John Lee Price, have also been arrested in conjunction with the incident. Lynn Price did not immediately respond to Eater Houston’s request for comment.
If convicted, Lynn Price and the other men face up to 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit arson and arson, with a maximum fine of $250,000. If he and Price are convicted of conspiracy to use an interstate facility to commit arson of a vehicle, that could add another five years in prison.
The indictment, which was unsealed after the arrests, alleges that Price recruited and paid people, including Williams and John Lee Price, to set fire to Bar 5015, which was owned by Price’s former colleague and business partner. Price allegedly ordered the men to set fire to the bar in June 2020, which caused a major explosion, according to court documents.
Video footage related to the bar fire, initially released by investigators in 2020, is recirculating on social media, appearing to show four men with partially covered faces pouring gasoline on Bar 5015’s deck floors, tables, chairs, and ramp before lighting it on fire. An explosion ensued, causing nearly $1 million worth of damage to the bar, KPRC reported. The fire also reportedly sent debris flying into the surrounding neighborhood, which reportedly damaged residents’ homes. Though no one reported injuries, KPRC reported that investigators said the blast might have injured the suspects who set the fire.
Prosecutors allege that this wasn’t the first time Price set fire to someone’s property. Lawyers allege that in a separate incident, Lynn Price similarly paid John Price and other people to set fire to a stolen 1975 Chevy Nova in April 2020.
The ongoing, highly controversial saga, including business disputes, bankruptcy, and a very public divorce, has consistently tarnished the Turkey Leg Hut’s reputation, which was once a beacon of culture and community for the Third Ward neighborhood. The restaurant was known for drawing in Black Houston residents and celebrities, including 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, Slim Thug, and Megan Thee Stallion.
