Latest news with #Bar5015
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Yahoo
Former Turkey Leg Hut co-owner pleads not guilty in federal court ; bond agreement not reached yet
The Brief Lyndell Price pleaded not guilty to charges against him for Bar 5015 fire. A judge has not reached a decision regarding bond for Lyndell Price. HOUSTON - Lyndell Price pleaded not guilty in federal court after being charged with conspiracy to commit arson of a commercial building and conspiracy to use an interstate facility to commit arson of a vehicle. What they're saying Federal prosecutors called FBI agent Debra Cline to the stand as their witness. Cline says FBI agents have been looking into Lyndell Price for about two to three years. Agent Cline testified that John Price, a co-defendant in the case, confessed to Bar 5015 arson in 2023. Cline said John Price also told agents about Lyndell's role after he was picked up for a federal drug charge in Mississippi in 2023. John Price, according to Cline, also told FBI agents that Lyndell paid $1,400 in two payments to he and others he recruited to commit arson. Cline stated that Steve Rogers, who was co-owner of Turkey Leg Hut, but later opened Bar 5015, said he wanted to bring Lyndell in to the business but later did not due to prior lawsuits. Cline added Lyndell even brought a box of money to Rogers wanting to start a new partnership in Bar 5015, but Rogers declined. Cline added there were disputes between Rogers and Lyndell, about using the same supplier for crawfish. Rogers told investigators Lyndell viewed it as a conflict of interest. Agent Cline read a text from Lyndell to Rogers about a month before the fire. Prosecutors said Rogers deemed that text as threatening. Cline stated that John Price met Lyndell around 2016 and the two started working together in 2018. Cline added that John Price told investigators he was part of a crew who stole multiple vehicles, heavy equipment, etc., and later sold the stolen items in Houston. Federal prosecutors had Cline answer questions about John Price's statements that marijuana was allegedly being sold on the property of the Turkey Leg Hut, branded with the establishment's packing. Prosecutors also added that John Price told them he was traveling with trailers to California to retrieve the marijuana, and bring it back to the Turkey Leg Hut because of 24-hour security. Cline told the court that the Monday after Lyndell was arrested multiple guns were found in his home by Constables, including one that was deemed as stolen. Two shot guns Three rifles One pistol Ammunition Flamethrower Federal prosecutors pointed out that Lyndell Price lied to the court about living with his mother and was living at his Missouri City home where the firearms were found. Prosecutors add he was not truthful about the firearms, and claimed he had not paid rent at the home he was leasing. Prosecutors state that Lyndell Price violated at least four court protective orders. Prosecutors say Lyndell Price's girlfriend alleges he pushed her at the end of 2024. February 2024 - A 52-year-old man said he choked him at Tipsy Bar. December 2022 - Lyft driver claims Lyndell pointed a weapon at him in 2022. July 2021 - Estranged Wife, Nakia Holmes, alleges Lyndell slapped her while pregnant. The other side Defense Attorney Chuck Egbunou asks FBI agent Cline to identify if Lyndell Price was in surveillance video showcasing the men who set Bar 5015 on fire. Agent Cline say Lyndell Price was not in video. Egbunou pointed out that Cline stated the FBI has been looking at Lyndell for about three years while he was out in the community and questioned how Lyndell is a threat to the community during this time. "For various reasons, one being that he is not a danger to the community we heard multiple testimonies as it relates to HSI community involvement and things that he does for the community, but more importantly, but more importantly, the co-defendants that have been given indictment, have been given a bond," said Egbunou. The defense also stated that Steve Rogers, owner of 5015, has other businesses that were not burned down. The defense argued that Lyndell served time for tax fraud and completed supervised release. The defense argued that John Price's claims against his client may not be true due to lack of evidence. "The evidence that they did put on is based on a person or individual that is under federal indictment for trafficking one of the most dangerous drugs in America, which is fentanyl, so again the court has provided him with a bond, so there are no allegations against my client for drug trafficking as it relates to that co-defendant with fentanyl," said Egbunou. Lyndell's mother was present but did not take the stand. Leon Kinloch, a former United Airlines Executive, took the stand stating he was a longtime family friend for 35 years. Kinloch added the Lyndell he knew was a person who gave back to the community, and he had the heart of his mother. What's next The prosecution believes, based on the evidence they presented, Lyndell is a danger to the community and he will threaten others. The Defense is asking for bond with some conditions as Lyndell Price's co-defendant. The Source FOX 26 Reporter Leslie DelasBour was at the hearing on Thursday.
USA Today
26-04-2025
- USA Today
Houston-area restaurant owner charged in explosion at business partner's bar
Houston-area restaurant owner charged in explosion at business partner's bar A Houston restaurant owner has been indicted on three federal charges in connection with an explosion at a popular bar owned by his business partner, federal officials said. A news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Houston says that 42-year-old Lyndell Price, 27-year-old Armani Williams and 39-year-old John Lee Price were arrested in connection with the 2020 explosion and accused of conspiring to set fire to Bar 5015. Lyndell Price is the former owner of the Turkey Leg Hut and the current owner of the The Oyster Hut. Bar 5015 was owned by Price's business partner, also the former co-owner of the Turkey Leg Hut. The three men face charges of conspiracy to commit arson and arson. If convicted, they could face up to 25 years in prison. Lyndell Price and John Price could face a further five years in prison if convicted on charges of conspiracy to use an interstate facility to commit arson of a vehicle. USA TODAY was not able to immediately find an attorneys representing the men. All three appear in court According to KHOU 11, all three men appeared in court on Friday. After hearing the charges against them, they were released pending upcoming court dates. Letitia Quinones-Hollins, John Price's attorney, addressed the charges in comments to local news outlet KPRC. 'This is a classic example of being very mindful of the company you keep,' Quinones-Hollins stated. 'Sometimes, the company you keep can get you into trouble.' She also said that although Lyndell Price and John Price share the same name, they are not related. Quinones-Hollins did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment on Friday. What happened? Charging documents allege that Price recruited and paid a group of people, including Williams and John Price, to pour gasoline on Bar 5015's entrance ramp and set it on fire. According to the indictment, in the early morning hours of June 12, 2020, Williams and an 'unnamed co-conspirator' bought gasoline, gas cans and face coverings at a truck stop in Houston. They then got to the bar's deck area and doused the deck and entrance ramp before lighting a piece of paper and setting it all on fire, according to the indictment. Investigators say that Williams called Lyndell Price to tell him that the 'arson was complete.' According to local news outlets, the fire led to an explosion at the bar that left a 'debris field and several small fires.' In the same indictment, investigators also allege that Lyndell Price paid John Price and others to set fire to a 1975 Chevy Nova that was stolen from an auto repair shop. Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
