HOUSTON – Lyndell “Lynn” Price, the former owner of Houston restaurant Turkey Leg Hut and the current owner of The Oyster Hut, has reversed course in the federal Bar 5015 arson case and entered a guilty plea, becoming the third of five defendants charged in the scheme to admit guilt.
Price, 44, appeared in court Thursday wearing an olive-green prison jumpsuit with front-facing handcuffs and shackles around his ankles. KPRC 2’s Bryce Newberry was in the courtroom for the hearing.
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Price pleaded guilty to Count One of the second superseding federal indictment, conspiracy to commit arson — a felony.
His remaining counts will be dismissed at the time of sentencing under the plea agreement, federal officials confirmed.
As part of the plea hearing, Price admitted under oath that he directed a Turkey Leg Hut employee who is also charged in the case to assemble a crew to set fire to Bar 5015.
Price acknowledged that the crew transported gasoline to the nightclub and intentionally started the fire.
He also admitted receiving a phone call from co-defendant John Lee Price at approximately 4:47 a.m. on June 12, 2020, informing him that the arson had been carried out. Price told the court he handed the phone to his wife after receiving the call.
He's now facing 5-20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000. He's back in federal custody now with sentencing scheduled for September 25.
— KPRC 2 Bryce Newberry (@KPRC2Bryce) June 11, 2026
Judge Sim Lake questioned Price after he initially indicated he was surprised by the call despite having directed the arson plot.
“You said that you directed John Lee Price to put together a crew to set fire to Bar 5015. 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?” Lake asked.
Price responded that he was surprised because the call came during the “wee hours” of the morning and that he had not yet been awake.
Price then confirmed it was a true statement that he directed John Lee Price to arrange the arson.
However, Price denied allegations that he paid John Lee Price for participating in the scheme.
“I didn’t pay him,” Price told the court.
The denial came despite prosecutors indicating that John Lee Price was expected to testify if the case had gone to trial. He reportedly would have said Lyndell Price paid him for his role in the arson.
At the conclusion of the hearing, Lake asked Price how he pleaded to the charge.
“Guilty, sir,” Price replied.
Chuck Egbuonu, Price’s attorney, said there had been various discussions with government officials regarding plea agreements for his client, with multiple terms negotiated throughout the process.
During the hearing, Price told the court he graduated from high school and completed two years of college while pursuing a business management degree. He said his most recent employment was as a chef at Turkey Leg Hut.
Price also told the court he has never been diagnosed with or treated for a mental health condition and has never suffered from an addiction to drugs or alcohol. He said he had not taken any medication within the previous 24 hours.
When questioned by the judge, Price confirmed he had discussed the case with his attorney more than five times and was satisfied with his legal representation.
The new plea marks a significant development in the long-running federal prosecution surrounding the June 2020 fire and explosion at Bar 5015, a popular Houston nightclub along Almeda Road near the Museum District.
Price had previously pleaded not guilty to all charges after being indicted on federal allegations that he orchestrated the arson attack.
Federal prosecutors accused him of recruiting and paying others to set fire to the bar, which was owned by a former Turkey Leg Hut business partner.
Following the guilty plea, Price is expected to remain in federal custody pending sentencing. He faces between five and 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Price’s sentencing hearing has been scheduled for Sept. 25, 2026, at 2 p.m. before Judge Lake.
Third defendant to plead guilty
Price is now the third defendant charged in the case to enter a guilty plea.
Court records show co-defendant Miziah Shepherd pleaded guilty on Nov. 18, 2025. More recently, Armani Williams entered a guilty plea on June 1, 2026.
READ MORE: Former Turkey Leg Hut co-owner Nakia Holmes cleared after grand jury declines charges
Two other defendants named in the federal indictment have not entered guilty pleas.
However, Javon Harris, another co-defendant, is scheduled to be re-arraigned next week, records show. Federal prosecutors confirmed he’s also expected to plead guilty.
Federal allegations
Federal prosecutors alleged that Price conspired with several men to carry out an arson attack against Bar 5015 during the early morning hours of June 12, 2020.
According to the indictment, Williams and another co-conspirator purchased gasoline, gas cans and face coverings before driving to the nightclub. Prosecutors said gasoline was poured throughout portions of the property and along an entrance ramp before the fire was ignited.
Investigators alleged Price financed the operation and received a phone call shortly after the arson was completed.
The indictment also accused Price and others of involvement in a separate scheme involving the burning of a stolen 1975 Chevrolet Nova weeks before the nightclub explosion.
The fire quickly escalated into a massive explosion that damaged Bar 5015, destroyed a nearby food truck and sent debris flying across the surrounding neighborhood.
Houston firefighters responded shortly before 5 a.m. on June 12, 2020, finding multiple small fires and a widespread debris field.
Surveillance video later released by investigators appeared to show several individuals carrying containers of ignitable liquid into the business before the explosion occurred.
Authorities estimated the blast caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage to the bar and nearby properties.
Broader legal troubles
The guilty plea adds to a growing list of legal challenges for Price, whose restaurant empire became the subject of numerous lawsuits, investigations and criminal cases in recent years.
In addition to the arson case, Price has faced separate federal weapons and drug-related allegations.
Prosecutors previously charged him with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and multiple counts of being a felon in possession of firearms.
Thursday’s plea represents one of the most significant developments yet in the federal government’s case surrounding the Bar 5015 explosion, which remained unsolved for years before a sweeping indictment was unsealed in 2025.