JAILHOUSE ROCK! Woman Arrested In Plot To Steal Graceland Estate From Presley Family!
A brazen con artist allegedly tried to snatch Graceland from Elvis’s heirs using fake identities and bogus documents—now she’s behind bars! 🌐 #News #MemphisTN #Tennessee #Crime
MEMPHIS, TN – Talk about a hunk of burning fraud! A woman was arrested Friday in connection with a scheme to steal Memphis, Tennessee’s Graceland from the family of Elvis Presley, which made headlines earlier this year.
According to a criminal complaint unsealed Friday, 53-year-old Lisa Jeanine Findley of Missouri, also known by the aliases Lisa Holden, Lisa Howell, Gregory Naussany, Kurt Naussany, Lisa Jeanine Sullins, and Carolyn Williams, has been charged with mail fraud and aggravated identity theft.
“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,” Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, said in a statement.
“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.”
A Tennessee judge blocked a foreclosure sale of the estate back in May after Elvis Presley’s granddaughter, Riley Keough and her attorneys fought the sale, arguing the phony investment firm used fraudulent documents to claim ownership of the property and force the sale.
According to the Justice Department, Findley allegedly posed as three different individuals affiliated with a fictitious private lender named Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC.
In that capacity, she allegedly falsely claimed that Elvis Presley’s only daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, had borrowed $3.8 million from Naussany Investments in 2018 and pledged Graceland as collateral for the loan, then failed to repay.
Findley allegedly 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.
She then allegedly published a fraudulent foreclosure notice in The Commercial Appeal, a daily newspaper in Memphis, announcing that Naussany Investments planned to auction Graceland to the highest bidder on May 23.
At that point, the Keough family sued Naussany Investments in Tennessee state court as part of an effort to stop the sale of Graceland, and Findley allegedly submitted false court filings.
Once the matter gained global media attention, Findley allegedly wrote to representatives of Elvis Presley’s family, the Tennessee state court, and the media to claim that the person responsible for the scheme was a Nigerian identity thief.
“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.”
“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.”
If convicted, Findley faces a mandatory minimum of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft and up to 20 years in prison for mail fraud.
Reminder: All parties are considered innocent before proven guilty. Written by TMX staff, with additional reporting by Jack and Kitty Norton.
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