Scheme to Defraud Elvis Presleys Family of Millions and Steal Ownership of Graceland

A Missouri woman was arrested Friday morning on federal charges over an alleged scheme to defraud Elvis Presley‘s family of “millions” and steal ownership of his Graceland estate.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the woman in question is 53-year-old Lisa Jeanine Findley, who has also gone by the names Lisa Holden, Lisa Howell, Gregory Naussany, Kurt Naussany, Lisa Jeanine Sullins and Carolyn Williams. She will make an appearance later on Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri.

Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s criminal division and principal deputy assistant attorney general, said in a statement that Findley allegedly “orchestrated a scheme to conduct a fraudulent sale of Graceland, falsely claiming that Elvis Presley’s daughter had pledged the historic landmark as collateral for a loan that she failed to repay before her death. As part of the brazen scheme, we allege that the defendant created numerous false documents and sought to extort a settlement from the Presley family. Now she is facing federal charges. The criminal division and its partners are committed to holding fraudsters to account.”

The complaint alleges that Findley posed as three different people employed by a fake private lending firm called Naussany Investments and falsely claimed that Presley’s late daughter, Lisa Marie, had borrowed $3.8 million in 2018 and pledged Graceland as collateral for the loan. Findley claimed that Lisa Marie failed to repay the loan before her death in January 2023 and sought $2.85 million from Presley’s family. She allegedly fabricated loan documents, forged the signatures of Lisa Marie Presley and a Florida state notary, filed a false creditor’s claim with the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles and a false deed of trust with the Shelby County Register’s Office in Memphis.

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Earlier this year, Findley allegedly published a fraudulent foreclosure notice in local newspaper The Commercial Appeal advertising that Naussany would auction off Graceland to the highest bidder on May 23. When Presley’s family then sued Naussany in Tennessee state court, Findley allegedly filed false court documents. Findley then allegedly claimed that the person responsible for the scheme was a Nigerian identity thief.

Findley has been charged with mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. If convicted, she faces a mandatory minimum of two years in prison for identity theft, and a maximum of 20 years in prison for mail fraud.

“Fame and money are magnets for criminals who look to capitalize on another person’s celebrity status,” said Eric Shen, inspector in charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group. “In this case, Ms. Findley allegedly took advantage of the very public and tragic occurrences in the Presley family as an opportunity to prey on the name and financial status of the heirs to the Graceland estate, attempting to steal what rightfully belongs to the Presley family for her personal gain. Postal Inspectors and their law enforcement partners put an end to her alleged scheme, protecting the Presley family from continued harm and stress. This is an example of our relentless investigative work and commitment to bringing criminals to justice for their illegal activity.”

The news comes following a dispute over the ownership of Graceland after the death of Lisa Marie Presley, who previously inherited it. Her eldest daughter, actor Riley Keough, was named the sole trustee and owner following her death, but Lisa Marie’s mother, Priscilla Presley, challenged the validity of the decision. Priscilla Presley argued that the 2016 change made to Lisa Marie’s trust that named Keough the sole trustee was suspect, citing differences in her signatures. Prior to that change, Priscilla Presley was set to be co-trustee of Graceland along with Lisa Marie’s former business manager Barry Siegel. However, Keough and Priscilla Presley eventually reached a financial settlement, with Keough remaining the sole trustee and Priscilla Presley taking on a “special adviser” role.

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Update: 2024-08-25

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