A woman was arrested this Friday – the 47th anniversary of icon Elvis Presley’s death – for attempting to defraud his family out of millions of dollars and steal their ownership interest in his Graceland estate.
Lisa Jeanine Findley, 53, of Kimberling City, Mo., was charged in a criminal complaint unsealed after her arrest, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. She also goes by a variety of other names, including Lisa Holden, Lisa Howell, Gregory Naussany, Kurt Naussany, Lisa Jeanine Sullins, and Carolyn Williams.
This June, Audacy described her as “a grandmother/con woman” from the Branson, Mo., area. Per the DOJ, Findley was expected to make her first appearance in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri Friday.
“As alleged in the complaint, the defendant 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,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “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.”
Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis’ only child, died last January at 54 years old. She was survived by her mother, Priscilla Presley, and three daughters – 35-year-old Riley Keough, 15-year-old Harper Lockwood and 15-year-old Finley Lockwood. Audacy reported shortly after Lisa Marie Presley’s death that Graceland was going to Elvis’ granddaughters.
“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,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group.
Findley’s alleged scheme nearly saw the beloved tourist destination up on the auction block this May.
“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),” said the DOJ. “Findley allegedly claimed falsely that Elvis Presley’s daughter had borrowed $3.8 million in 2018 from Naussany Investments, pledged Graceland as collateral for the loan, and failed to repay the debt.”
Then, she allegedly sought $2.85 million from Elvis’ family. Findley’s alleged scheme included the following, per the DOJ: filing fabricated loan documents with forged signatures of Lisa Marie Presley and a Florida State notary public; filing false creditor’s claim with the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles; filing a fake deed of trust with the Shelby County Register’s Office in Memphis and publishing a fraudulent foreclosure notice in The Commercial Appeal, one of Memphis’s daily newspapers.
That publication announced that Naussany Investments planned to auction Graceland to the highest bidder on May 23. Before the sale, Elvis family sued in Tennessee state court. In response, Findley allegedly submitted false court filings. At that point, the scheme attracted global attention and Findley allegedly attempted to claim falsely that the person responsible for the scheme was an identity thief located in Nigeria.
According to the Graceland website, Graceland was built in 1939 and was originally part of a 500-acre farm. Elvis purchased the home and grounds for around $100,000 in 1957, when he was 22. In 1982, the estate was opened to the public and has since hosted more than 20 million visitors.
“Prior to Graceland’s opening, there was minimal tourism trade in Memphis. Graceland quickly became the cornerstone of the industry for the city and the region,” said the website. This week, author and Elvis historian Sally Hoedel told Audacy’s “Something Offbeat” podcast that Graceland is also an important part of why Elvis remains so well known today, decades after his death.
For example, just this week fans made a pilgrimage to Graceland for “Elvis Week” events, including a candlelight vigil for the King of Rock n’ Roll.
“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.”
Findley has been charged with mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. She faces a mandatory two-year prison sentence if convicted of aggravated identity theft and maximum penalty of 20 years for mail fraud. All defendants are assumed innocent until proved guilty.