Three men were charged on Tuesday (12 July) with plotting to sell allegedly ill-gotten handwritten lyrics to the Eagles hit “Hotel Calfornia”.
Prosectutors claim that the three men – one of whom is a rock memorabilia dealer – had lied to auction houses and buyers in the course of trying to sell the lyric sheets.
They allegedly coached the person who provided the handwritten material to put forward misleading claims about the manuscript’s origin.
Eagles co-founder Don Henley also attempted to reclaim the items, prosecutors said, with the three men reportedly stifling his efforts.
Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg said: “They made up stories about the origin of the documents and their right to possess them so they could turn a profit.”
Rock auctioneer Edward Kosinski and co-defendants Glenn Horowitz and Craig Inciardi pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges, and were released without bail.
Kosinski and Inciardi were further charged with criminal possession of stolen property. Horowitz, meanwhile, was charged with attempted criminal possession of stolen property and two counts of hindering prosecution. Their lawyers have insisted the men are innocent.
A joint statement from attorneys Jonathan Bach (defendant Glenn Horowitz), Stacey Richman (defendant Craig Inciardi), and Antonia Apps (defendant Edward Kosinski) reads: “The DA’s office alleges criminality where none exists and unfairly tarnishes the reputations of well-respected professionals.
“We will fight these unjustified charges vigorously. These men are innocent.”
“Hotel California”, released in 1977, became the signature song for the Eagles, and has been widely covered by artists including Gipsy Kings and The Killers.
Additional reporting by PA
