One of the longest-running legal battles connected to the Turkey Leg Hut took a major turn this week when co-founder Lyndell “Lynn” Price admitted in federal court that he participated in a conspiracy to set fire to a Houston nightclub.
Price, 44, pleaded guilty on Thursday, June 11, to conspiracy to commit arson in connection with the June 2020 firebombing of Bar 5015, a popular Houston venue located just blocks from the former Turkey Leg Hut. According to Click2Houston, the plea marks a dramatic reversal for Price, who had previously denied the allegations and was preparing for trial.
As part of the hearing, Price acknowledged under oath that he directed a Turkey Leg Hut employee who is also charged in the case to assemble a crew to carry out the arson. He admitted that the group obtained gasoline, transported it to the nightclub, and intentionally ignited the fire.
Price also confirmed that co-defendant John Lee Price called him around 4:47 a.m. on June 12, 2020, to report that the operation had been completed.
The hearing included a notable exchange with U.S. District Judge Sim Lake. After Price admitted he had directed the plot, the judge questioned why he initially claimed to be surprised by the early-morning phone call reporting the fire.
“You said that you directed John Lee Price to put together a crew to set fire to Bar 5015,” Lake told him. “When John Lee Price called you at 4:47 a.m. to report that they’d set fire to Bar 5015, why were you surprised by his call?”
Price responded that the call came during the “wee hours” of the morning and caught him off guard because he had not yet been awake.
When asked directly how he pleaded to the charge, Price responded: “Guilty, sir.”
Under the plea agreement, the remaining charges in the arson case will be dismissed at sentencing. Price still faces a potential prison sentence of 5 to 20 years, along with a fine of up to $250,000. His sentencing is scheduled for September 25.
The guilty plea makes Price the third defendant in the case to admit guilt. Co-defendant Miziah Shepherd pleaded guilty in November 2025, while Armani Williams entered a guilty plea earlier this month. Another defendant, Javon Harris, is expected to be re-arraigned soon, and federal prosecutors have indicated that he will also plead guilty.
Federal investigators have alleged for years that the attack on Bar 5015 stemmed from a dispute involving former business relationships and competition. The nightclub was owned by Steve Rogers, a former business partner of Turkey Leg Hut.
According to prosecutors, gasoline was poured throughout portions of the property before the fire was ignited, triggering an explosion that caused extensive damage to the building, a nearby food truck, and surrounding property. No one was injured.
The plea is the latest development in the collapse of what was once one of Houston’s most recognizable restaurant brands. Founded in 2015 by Price and his then-wife Nakia Holmes, the Turkey Leg Hut grew from a rodeo-area pop-up into a national phenomenon known for oversized stuffed turkey legs and celebrity visitors including James Harden, Kevin Hart, Megan Thee Stallion, and Snoop Dogg.
But the restaurant's later years became increasingly defined by lawsuits, financial disputes, bankruptcy proceedings, and criminal investigations. The business ultimately shut down in 2024 after losing its lease, and bankruptcy records later showed more than $6.5 million in claims were discharged without payment.
Meanwhile, Holmes recently scored a legal victory of her own. Earlier this year, a Harris County grand jury declined to indict her on a hindering apprehension charge tied to an unrelated kidnapping investigation, effectively clearing her in that case.
She has since hinted at a possible revival of the Turkey Leg Hut brand.
