Woman charged with trying to defraud Elvis Presley’s family through sale of Graceland, authorities say

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KYTV/Gray News) – Authorities arrested a Missouri woman on federal charges in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud Elvis Presley’s family of millions of dollars and steal the family’s ownership interest in Graceland, the former home of Presley, in Memphis, Tennessee.

Lisa Jeanine Findley, 53, of Kimberling City, Missouri, was charged in a criminal complaint unsealed Friday.

Findley, also known by various aliases, will make her initial court appearance Friday, authorities said.

“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,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.

According to court documents, Findley allegedly posed as three different individuals affiliated with a fictitious private lender named Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC (Naussany Investments).

Findley allegedly claimed falsely that Elvis Presley’s daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, had borrowed $3.8 million in 2018, pledged Graceland as collateral and failed to repay the debt.

To settle the purported claim, Findley allegedly sought $2.85 million from Elvis Presley’s family.

Findley allegedly fabricated loan documents on which she forged the signatures of Lisa Marie Presley and a Florida State notary public. Findley then allegedly filed a false creditor’s claim with the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles and a fake deed of trust with the Shelby County Register’s Office in Memphis.

Findley also allegedly published a fraudulent foreclosure notice in The Commercial Appeal, one of Memphis’s daily newspapers, announcing that Naussany Investments planned to auction Graceland to the highest bidder on May 23.

When Naussany Investments was sued by Elvis Presley’s family in Tennessee state court as part of an effort to stop the sale of Graceland, Findley allegedly submitted false court filings.

After the scheme attracted global attention, Findley allegedly wrote to representatives of Elvis Presley’s family, the Tennessee state court and the media to falsely claim that the person responsible for the scheme was a Nigerian identity thief.

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.

An attorney for Findley was not listed in court documents and a telephone number was not immediately available in public records, The Associated Press reported. An email seeking comment sent to an address prosecutors say Findley had used in the scheme was not immediately returned.

Friday marks the anniversary of Elvis’ death at Graceland back in 1977.

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