3 charged with scheming to sell stolen handwritten lyrics to "Hotel California" and other hits by the Eagles

A rock memorabilia dealer and two other men were charged Tuesday with scheming to sell allegedly ill-gotten, handwritten lyrics to the classic rock juggernaut "Hotel California" and other hits by the Eagles.

Prosecutors said the trio lied to auction houses and buyers about the manuscripts' fuzzy chain of origin, coaching the person who provided the material about what to say. Meanwhile, the men tried to thwart Eagles co-founder Don Henley's efforts to reclaim the items, according to prosecutors.

"They made up stories about the origin of the documents and their right to possess them so they could turn a profit," Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said.