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Three men, including a curator for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame museum in Cleveland, have been charged with a plot to sell almost 100 pages of lyrics and notes that were stolen from Eagles cofounder Don Henley back in the '70s.
The notes reportedly cover a good portion of Henley's songwriting from the Eagles' Hotel California-era songs. They are believed to have been stolen by an unnamed biographer more than 40 years ago.
Rock Hall curator Craig Inciardi and his alleged accomplices Glenn Horowitz and Edward Kosinski are accused of trying to sell the pilfered notes to potential buyers, including auction houses. Even Henley himself was pressed to buy back his stolen documents, prosecutors say.
The three men have been charged with conspiracy in the fourth degree, which could land them in prison for up to four years.
Horowitz, who acquired the documents in 2005, is additionally charged with first-degree criminal possession of stolen property and two counts of hindering prosecution.
Inciardi has been suspended from his position at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Lawyers for the defendants say their clients are innocent and will "fight these unjustified charges vigorously."
Eagles manager Irving Azoff said in a statement to Rolling Stone that the band was heartened by the indictments. Henley himself is anticipating a reunion with his stolen papers.
"This action exposes the truth about music memorabilia sales of highly personal, stolen items hidden behind a facade of legitimacy,” said Azoff. "No one has the right to sell illegally obtained property or profit from the outright theft of irreplaceable pieces of musical history. These handwritten lyrics are an integral part of the legacy Don Henley has created over the course of his 50-plus-year career."