The scene of Bar 5015 after the 2020 fire. (FOX 26 Houston)
HOUSTON - Former Turkey Leg Hut co-owner Lyndell Price has been sentenced for his apparent role in the explosive 2020 bar fire.
Price posted a statement through his current business explaining why he accepted the guilty plea earlier this year.
Fomer Turkey Leg Hut owner sentenced
What we know:
Documents from the US District Court say Price has been sentenced to 105 months, eight years and nine months, in federal prison, followed by three years on supervised release.
The sentencing follows Price's guilty plea in July to conspiring to commit arson of a commercial building. Prosecutors at the time said he admitted to directing people to set fire to Bar 5015 on Almeda Road in June 2020.
Records show that Price's other charges in connection to the fire have been dropped.
Ex-Turkey Leg Hut owner admits to hiring arsonists to burn down bar, feds say
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Statement from Price
What they're saying:
Price issued a statement on Friday through the Instagram account for his Oyster Hut business.
The statement reads in part, "I’ve accepted a guilty plea not because this is something I’ve done but because I know that my purpose is greater than being behind these walls. Every guilty person isn’t guilty and every innocent person isn’t innocent. For the sake of my family and loved ones, I decided against battling the unknown."
Bar 5015 explosion
The backstory:
Bar 5015 on Almeda Road exploded in June 2020.
A fire caused the explosion of the bar that was recently renovated at the time, and the resulting loud boom around 4:45 a.m. frightened neighbors out of bed.
No injuries were reported.
At that time, the Houston Fire Department confirmed that the explosion is an active criminal investigation after it was determined that a fire was set intentionally.
Intentional fire set off explosion at Bar 5015 in Third Ward, criminal investigation underway
An explosion at a Houston bar that left debris scattered in the roadway and rattled nearby residents awake Friday morning, was intentionally set.
Price was one of three people who were arrested for the explosion in April 2025. In addition to Price, two other people have since pleaded guilty in connection to the crime.
The Source: Information comes from records from the Office of the US District Court - Southern District of Texas Clerk and from the Oyster Hut Instagram account. Other details come from previous FOX 26 reporting.