A Houston man, once a purveyor of turkey legs, is now steeped in legal turmoil. Former Turkey Leg Hut owner Lyndell "Lynn" Price, 42, along with accomplices Armani Williams, 27, and John Lee Price, 39, have been indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit arson, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office. The trio were implicated in the fire at Bar 5015, which occurred in June 2020, and are facing severe penalties, including up to 20 years in federal prison and fines up to $250,000.
According to the indictment unsealed this April, the arson is believed to have been born out of a business dispute with the bar's owner, a former business partner of Price's. Lynn Price allegedly orchestrated a group to carry out the act, enlisting Williams and John Price among others, who, according to the indictment, used gasoline to ignite Bar 5015's entrance ramp. As announced by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei, Price is accused of compensating the participants post-arson.
The complexities of the case extend beyond a single incident; additional charges against Lynn Price and John Price involve a separate arson of a stolen vehicle, a 1975 Chevy Nova, back in April 2020. The consequences for their actions could mount with conspiracy charges to use an interstate facility to commit the vehicle arson, a crime that could add another five years to their sentence. Their initial appearances before the U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Hanovice Palermo were scheduled for early afternoon today, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Law enforcement agencies including the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Houston Arson Bureau led the investigation, receiving assistance from local police and state officials. As Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sebastian A. Edwards and Keri Fuller prosecute the case, details of the indictment remain under seal for those associated with the plot who have yet to be apprehended, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office.
