Rock and Roll Hall of Fame curator Craig Inciardi has been suspended from his position after being charged, along with two other men, of possessing handwritten lyrics and notes allegedly stolen from Eagles' co-founder Don Henley in the 1970s.
Inciardi, Glenn Horowitz and Edward Kosinski are accused of involvement in a plot to sell almost 100 pages of Henley’s handwritten notes and lyrics from Hotel California and Life In The Fast Lane to potential buyers. The documents are believed to have been stolen from Henley by an unnamed biographer, and it's claimed that the 74-year-old musician had been pressed by the men to buy back his stolen papers.
The three men have been charged with conspiracy in the fourth degree, a charge which carries a potential four-year prison sentence, while Glenn Horowitz additionally faces a first-degree charge for attempted criminal possession of stolen property and two counts of hindering prosecution. Inciardi and Kosinski have also been hit with charges of criminal possession.
Lawyers for the accused trio insist their clients are innocent of all charges.
In a statement provided to Rolling Stone, Eagles' manager Irving Azoff said the band was pleased with the indictments and said Henley was looking forward to the safe of the documents.
"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."
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg issued a press release following the indictments, stating: “New York is a world-class hub for art and culture, and those who deal cultural artifacts must scrupulously follow the law. These defendants attempted to keep and sell these unique and valuable manuscripts, despite knowing they had no right to do so."
