Federal prosecutors have added new allegations to the long list of legal troubles facing Lynn Price, co-founder of Turkey Leg Hut.
According to newly unsealed court documents obtained by The Houston Chronicle, a federal grand jury has indicted Price on three additional charges: possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and two counts of felon in possession of a firearm.
The indictment, filed Wednesday, October 29, expands the existing federal case against Price, who is already awaiting trial for his alleged role in a 2020 arson that destroyed a Houston bar owned by one of his former business partners.
Investigators allege Price possessed multiple firearms between 2019 and 2023, despite a prior felony conviction. One of the newly identified weapons was reportedly modified to include a flamethrower attachment.
Another firearm charge is tied to the period when agents claim Price was selling marijuana. During a detention hearing earlier this year, an FBI agent testified that Price trafficked marijuana from California and sold it in the parking lot of the Turkey Leg Hut, though he has not been formally charged with drug trafficking.
Federal law prohibits Price from possessing any firearms because of his prior conviction for tax fraud in 2016, a case that resulted in more than two years in prison. The new indictment adds significant legal exposure for the Houston businessman. The trafficking-related firearm charge carries a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, while each felon-in-possession count is punishable by up to 15 years.
Price is already facing conspiracy and arson charges related to the June 2020 firebombing of Bar 5015, a restaurant and lounge operated by one of his former associates.
Federal investigators allege Price hired multiple men to carry out the attack, in which gasoline was poured around the building before being set ablaze. The early morning explosion caused extensive damage but no injuries. Prosecutors also accuse Price of orchestrating the burning of a stolen 1975 blue Chevrolet Nova connected to what authorities describe as a chop-shop operation.
The new superseding indictment also adds a fourth defendant, Javon Harris, who was arrested earlier this month. Harris is accused of participating in the arson and faces conspiracy and arson counts of his own.
Price, who has been held in federal custody since April, had previously requested a speedy trial. U.S. District Judge Sim T. Lake said he did not plan to postpone the proceedings, although the new charges could alter the schedule. No new trial date has been set.
The updated indictment arrives less than three weeks before the case was initially expected to go to trial, further complicating the legal picture surrounding Turkey Leg Hut’s founders.
Price’s ex-wife and former business partner, Nakia Holmes, was recently arrested on separate charges of hindering apprehension after authorities alleged she helped a man wanted for aggravated kidnapping evade arrest.
Together, the pair once operated one of Houston’s most recognized restaurants. Founded in 2015, Turkey Leg Hut garnered national attention for its stuffed turkey legs, celebrity clientele, and consistently large crowds.
However, the business closed in 2024 after a series of lawsuits, financial disputes, and a bankruptcy filing, leaving more than $6 million in unpaid claims.