A woman from Missouri has been arrested for allegedly orchestrating a fraudulent scheme aimed at defrauding Elvis Presley’s family by attempting to auction off his Graceland mansion and property. The Justice Department revealed this on Friday.
According to prosecutors, Lisa Jeanine Findley, 53, of Kimberling City, falsely claimed that Presley’s daughter had borrowed $3.8 million from a fake private lender and had used Graceland as collateral before her death. She threatened to sell Graceland to the highest bidder if the Presley family did not pay a $2.85 million settlement.
Findley posed as multiple individuals linked to the fake lender, created fraudulent loan documents, and posted a fake foreclosure notice in a Memphis newspaper announcing the auction of Graceland in May. The sale was stopped by a judge after Presley’s granddaughter filed a lawsuit.
Experts were puzzled by the attempt to sell such a renowned property using suspicious names, emails, and documents.
Graceland, which opened as a museum in 1982, attracts numerous visitors each year. The charges were announced on the 47th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death at the age of 42.
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“Ms. Findley allegedly exploited the public and tragic events in the Presley family to take advantage of the name and financial status of the heirs to the Graceland estate, attempting to steal from the Presley family for personal gain,” said Eric Shen, inspector in charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Criminal Investigations Group.
Findley, who used various aliases, is charged with mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. The mail fraud charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. She is in custody in Missouri after a brief court appearance.
In May, a foreclosure sale notice claimed that the entity controlling the Graceland museum owed $3.8 million and that Riley Keough, Presley’s granddaughter, inherited ownership. Keough’s lawsuit alleged fraud and halted the auction with a court injunction.
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The judge noted discrepancies in the documents presented by the bogus lender and the notary, casting doubt on the authenticity of the loan.
The Tennessee attorney general’s office transferred the investigation to federal authorities after investigating the Graceland controversy. Naussany Investments, the supposed lender, decided not to proceed due to legal complications in multiple states.
