Former Turkey Leg Hut owner sentenced for role in arson-for-hire scheme

HOUSTON - A Houston businessman has been ordered to federal prison for conspiring to commit arson of a commercial building.

Lyndell Leroy Price, 44, pleaded guilty June 11.

U.S. District Judge Sim Lake ordered Price to serve 105 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that Price directed the arson of Bar 5015 without any regard for the safety of those who live nearby or the damage the explosion and fire would have on neighboring businesses. Judge Lake stated Price's lack of respect for the law warranted a high sentence as a measure of deterrence and to protect the community.

As part of his plea, Price admitted he directed others to intentionally set fire to Bar 5015, a Houston business his former partner owned on Almeda Road in Houston. Shortly before the fire, court records show that the owner had declined Price's offer to buy into the bar and refused to sell his interest in the Turkey Leg Hut, an establishment he co-owned with Price's estranged wife.

In the early morning hours of June 12, 2020, the conspirators bought gasoline and gas cans before going to an area near the business. Wearing face coverings and carrying gasoline-filled containers, they walked to Bar 5015, poured gasoline across the entrance ramp and deck, ignited it, and fled.

The fire caused significant damage to the business and endangered nearby occupied homes, commercial properties, and the electrical grid.

After the arson, a member of the conspiracy called Price to report that the mission was complete. The conspirators then received payment from Price for their roles in the crime.

John Lee Price, 39, Armani Williams, 28, Miziah Shepherd, 28, and Javon Harris, 27, all of Houston, previously pleaded guilty to the same charge and will be sentenced at a later date.

Lyndell will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

FBI - Houston; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and Houston Fire Department Arson Bureau conducted the investigation with assistance of Houston Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, and Harris County Constable's Office - Precinct 4. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sebastian A. Edwards and Keri Fuller prosecuted the case.