Craig Inciardi, the curator and director of acquisitions at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, along with two other men -- Glenn Horowitz and Edward Kosinski -- were indicted yesterday in New York on charges of conspiracy to sell Don Henley’s original lyrics and notes for the Eagles’ Hotel California album.
They have been charged with one count of Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree, and Inciardi and Kosinski also face a charge of Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the First Degree, while Horowitz is being charged with Attempted Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the First Degree and two counts of Hindering Prosecution in the Second Degree.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr. says, “These defendants attempted to keep and sell these unique and valuable manuscripts, despite knowing they had no right to do so. They made up stories about the origin of the documents and their right to possess them so they could turn a profit.”
The 84-page manuscript, which includes lyrics to the title track along with “Life in the Fast Lane” and “New Kid In Town," were stolen by an Eagles biographer in the late ’70s. He sold it to Horowitz in 2005, who then sold it to Inciardi and Kosinski. They in turn tried to sell it back to Henley as well as Sotheby’s and Christie’s auction houses. They claim they received the manuscript from the late Glenn Frey.
All three men say they are innocent, Inciardi has been suspended from the Rock Hall with President and CEO Joel Peresman saying, “At this time we do not know whether Craig engaged in any wrongdoing. He will remain on leave pending the resolution of the third party internal investigation and the extent of the charges once the indictment is unsealed.”
The other defendant, Glenn Horowitz, is an archives dealer who had a hand in the purchase of Bob Dylan materials for the recently opened Bob Dylan Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Henley has not commented on this story, but his manager Irving Azoff says, “We are thankful to New York County District Attorney Alvin Bragg and his staff for pursuing this case and have faith that justice will be served. This action exposes the truth about music memorabilia sales of highly personal, stolen items hidden behind a facade of legitimacy. 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. We look forward to the return of Don’s property, for him and his family to enjoy and preserve for posterity.”
The District Attorney values the manuscripts at $1 million.
Source: Washington Post and Premiere