Turkey Leg Hut Co-Owner Lynn Price Hit With New Federal Gun Charges

Lynn Price, the former owner of Houston’s once-popular Turkey Leg Hut, has been indicted on three federal firearms charges: one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and two counts of a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents, the statute of limitations and the nature of the alleged offenses carry potentially decades of prison time if convicted.

Price’s current legal trouble adds to a series of controversies surrounding Turkey Leg Hut that began long before the indictment. The restaurant, launched in 2015 and later moved to a brick-and-mortar location in Houston’s Third Ward, had grown a strong local following thanks to oversized smoked turkey legs, bold marketing and celebrity visits. But beneath the surface, the business was also beset by legal, financial and operational issues.

Among the early problems were lawsuits from neighbors and vendors. In 2019, neighbors complained that outdoor smokers at the restaurant were spewing heavy smoke and disrupting the surrounding residential area. In 2021, Turkey Leg Hut implemented a strict dress-code, banning wave caps, durags, and “excessively revealing clothing” which drew criticism for carrying “anti-Black undertones” and sparked a national conversation about race and respectability politics. Vendor lawsuits followed soon after: in December 2022 the restaurant was sued for owing more than $1 million to a national food supplier, and in early 2023 an investor lawsuit claimed more than $900,000 was owed.

The troubles escalated into criminal allegations. Federal authorities say Lynn Price used Turkey Leg Hut and an affiliated business to facilitate large-scale marijuana trafficking, storing up to 1,000 pounds of hydroponic marijuana on site in packaging branded with the restaurant’s logo. He is also accused of orchestrating a 2020 arson attack on a business owned by a former partner, hiring others to set fire to the property in retaliation for a failed business deal. Amid these criminal investigations, the restaurant shuttered in late 2024. Bankruptcy filings cited liabilities of over $4 million and multiple health-code violations had forced the local health department to order a closure in September 2024.

Turkey Leg Hut Co-Owner Lynn Price Hit With New Federal Gun Charges was originally published on theboxhouston.com