A 63-year-old man known as an author, collector and presidential historian will likely be pleading guilty in court relatively soon. He has been accused of the theft of major artwork and conspiracy to commit theft of major artwork. His alleged partner in the crimes has already pleaded guilty to similar charges.

The man had previously pleaded not guilty to the charges, but a hearing that was scheduled for a few days before the trial was set to start indicated he was going to alter his plea. The man and his assistant allegedly stole several dozen documents from the Maryland Historical Society and the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library, which is a part of the National Archives.

The two would reportedly work together to distract librarians and other employees so they could place documents into articles of clothing that had been equipped with hidden pockets.

When apprehended, authorities claim to have discovered about 80 documents in the men's possession. Approximately 60 of them were from the Maryland Historical Society, where employees had become suspicious of the duo. The assistant pleaded guilty in October.

Among the documents the two allegedly had were presidential inaugural ball invitations and programs worth $500,000. They also allegedly had papers signed by Abraham Lincoln, Karl Marx, John Adams, Marie Antoinette, Franklin D. Roosevelt, George Washington and Napoleon Bonaparte. The two were allegedly planning on selling the documents to collectors for a profit.

Sometimes a plea deal is preferable to taking a case to trial, especially if it seems prosecutors have the evidence to prove guilt. A plea deal can often lead to a lesser sentence, and will allow a suspect to get on with his or her life sooner.

Source: CBS DC, "Guilty Plea Expected In Theft Of Abraham Lincoln Signed Documents From MD Historical Society," Feb. 1, 2012