OAN’s Sophia Flores
10:49 AM – Thursday, February 22, 2024
47 years after the mega-hit album “Hotel California” was released by the classic rock band The Eagles, opening statements for a trial charging three men with alleged conspiracy to sell pages of stolen lyrics written by Eagles drummer and lyricist Don Henley commenced on Wednesday.
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The case, which was brought to light in 2022, centers around nearly 100 allegedly stolen pages that contain developmental writings of some of the most iconic lyrics in the band’s songbook.
Developmental lyrics that were written in the notepad included writings and ideas related to notable songs such as “Life in the Fast Lane,” “New Kid in Town” and the most famous of all, “Hotel California.”
Defendants in the case are three well-established collectors. Rare-books dealer Glenn Horowitz, memorabilia seller Edward Kosinski, and former Rock & Roll Hall of Fame curator Craig Inciardi are all being charged.
Don Henley is now trying to obtain the stolen manuscripts of his work.
They were originally stolen from him sometime in the late 1970’s by author Ed Sanders, who had been hired to write a biography about the band. They were reportedly first sold in 2005 to Horowitz for $50,000. He later sold them to the other two defendants for $65,000.
Once Henley was notified about his stolen manuscripts, he immediately filed a police report, however, he was unable to regain possession of them as Horowitz and Inciardi worked to fabricate its record of ownership.
The Eagles member claims that the three men schemed together to stop him from regaining his stolen property for their own benefit.
“The defendants were not businessmen acting in good faith, but criminal actors,” Nicholas Penfold, an assistant Manhattan district attorney, said.
The men in question were charged with conspiracy to process stolen property, but they have all pleaded not guilty. The defendant’s lawyers claim that their clients did not partake in anything illegal and that there is nothing wrong with buying the pages and trying to sell them for a hefty price tag.
“They have accused three innocent men of a crime that never occurred,” Inciardi’s lawyer, Stacey Richman, said during opening statements.
Henley is expected to be a key witness in the trial.
The verdict will be decided by Judge Curtis Farber, as the defendants chose to forgo a jury.
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