NEW YORK (AP) – A historian and author has admitted in court that he stole letters written by George Washington and Abraham Lincoln and tried to resell them for nearly $100,000.

Edward Renehan Jr. pleaded guilty Tuesday to interstate transportation of stolen property. The 51-year-old faces up to 10 years in prison.

Renehan is the former director of the Theodore Roosevelt Association, and he has written six books.

Federal prosecutors say Renehan admitted that he stole three letters from the association and then tried to resell them through a Manhattan gallery for $97,000.

Renehan’s lawyer has said he was diagnosed last summer with bipolar disorder.

Brill did not immediately answer a telephone call for comment Tuesday.

AP-ES-05-20-08 1636EDT