MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Missouri woman has been arrested in connection with a scheme to foreclose on Graceland and auction off Elvis Presley’s former home in Memphis.
According to the Department of Justice, 53-year-old Lisa Jeanine Findley - who also goes by several aliases - of Kimberling City, Missouri, was arrested Friday, Aug. 16, 2024, and charged with orchestrating the scheme to auction off Graceland. Prosecutors said Findley planned to do that by falsely claiming that, prior to her death, Lisa Marie Presley had signed over the estate as collateral for a loan she hadn't repaid.
The DOJ said court documents showed Findley posed as three different people associated with a fake private lender called Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC (Naussany Investments). Findley claimed Lisa Marie Presley had borrowed $3.8 million in 2018 from the fake lender, and pledged Graceland as collateral. The DOJ said Findley claimed Presley had not repaid the debt by the time of her death in January 2023. To settle, Findley wanted $2.85 million from the Presley estate.
Prosecutors said Findley fabricated loan documents and forged signatures for both Elvis Presley’s daughter and a notary public in Florida. They said she filed a fake deed of trust with the Shelby County Register’s Office and a false creditor claim in Los Angeles.
The DOJ said Findley then went as far as to publish a fake foreclosure notice for Graceland in the Memphis newspaper The Commercial Appeal, announcing an auction of Graceland on May 23.
When Presley’s estate sued, including granddaughter Riley Keough, who was granted control of Graceland, the DOJ said Findley submitted fake court filings.
When the story went international, prosecutors said Findley contacted the Presley estate, Tennessee courts, and media claiming a Nigerian identity thief was responsible for the scheme.
Findley is charged with mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. If convicted, she faces a mandatory minimum of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for mail fraud.
According to newly-posted court records on the docket, Findley's initial appearance Friday lasted for just a few minutes and she was ordered to be transferred to the Western District of Tennessee where she was indicted. The government is also moving for her to be detained ahead of trial.
“As a Memphian, I know that Graceland is a national treasure,” said U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee. “This defendant allegedly used a brazen scheme to try to defraud the Presley family of their interest in this singularly important landmark. Of course, all homeowners deserve to have their property protected from fraud, and the Department of Justice will vigorously prosecute anyone who commits financial crimes or identity theft.”
“Fame and money are magnets for criminals who look to capitalize on another person’s celebrity status,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of 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.”