Turkey Leg Hut Co-Owner Lyndell Price Pleads Guilty In Bar 5015 Arson Plot, Faces Up To 20 Years In Prison

A major chapter in one of Houston’s most talked-about business feuds has taken a dramatic turn.

Lyndell Leroy Price, the Houston businessman best known as a co-owner of the popular Turkey Leg Hut, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit arson in connection with the 2020 fire at Bar 5015.

According to federal prosecutors, Price admitted that he directed others to intentionally set fire to the Houston nightclub after a dispute with his former business partner.

Court records reveal that prior to the fire, the owner of Bar 5015 had rejected Price’s proposal to buy into the nightclub and also refused to sell his ownership stake in Turkey Leg Hut, which the two men co-owned.

Federal authorities say that during the early morning hours of June 12, 2020, members of the conspiracy purchased gasoline and gas cans before heading toward the business on Almeda Road. Prosecutors allege the men wore face coverings, carried containers filled with gasoline, poured the fuel across the entrance ramp and deck of Bar 5015, ignited the fire, and fled the scene.

The blaze caused significant damage to the property and placed nearby homes, businesses, and portions of the electrical grid at risk.

Investigators say that after the fire was set, one of the participants informed Price that the mission had been completed. The individuals involved were later paid for their roles in carrying out the arson.

Price, 42, entered his guilty plea in federal court, where U.S. District Judge Sim Lake accepted the plea agreement and scheduled sentencing for September 25.

He now faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.

Two other Houston men, Armani Williams and Miziah Shepherd, previously pleaded guilty to the same charge and are also scheduled to be sentenced on September 25.

Authorities confirmed that Price, Williams, and Shepherd remain in custody pending sentencing.