A Missouri woman was arrested today on federal charges for allegedly attempting to defraud Elvis Presley’s family of millions of dollars and steal ownership of Graceland, the iconic former home of the late music legend
Lisa Jeanine Findley, 53, of Kimberling City, Missouri, faces charges of mail fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with an elaborate scheme targeting the Presley estate. Findley, who allegedly used multiple aliases, was taken into custody this morning and is scheduled to make her initial court appearance later today in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri.
According to the criminal complaint, Findley posed as a representative of a fictitious private lender, Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC. She allegedly claimed that Elvis Presley’s daughter had taken out a $3.8 million loan in 2018, using Graceland as collateral, and had failed to repay the debt. In an attempt to settle the fraudulent claim, Findley reportedly sought $2.85 million from the Presley family.
Prosecutors allege that Findley forged loan documents, including the signatures of Elvis Presley’s daughter and a Florida notary public. She then filed false claims in California and Tennessee courts and even published a fake foreclosure notice in a Memphis newspaper, announcing plans to auction Graceland.
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.
U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee added, “This defendant allegedly used a brazen scheme to try to defraud the Presley family of their interest in this singularly important landmark.
The scheme attracted global media attention, at which point Findley allegedly attempted to deflect blame by claiming a Nigerian identity thief was responsible.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the FBI. If convicted, Findley faces a mandatory minimum of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft and a maximum of 20 years for mail fraud.
