Fraudulent Sale of Iconic Property Thwarted
Authorities have arrested a 53-year-old Missouri woman, Lisa Jeanine Findley, who is accused of orchestrating a fraudulent scheme to sell Elvis Presley’s Graceland property in Memphis, Tennessee. The charges against Findley include mail fraud and aggravated identity theft.
In May, a shadowy company named Naussany Investments and Private Lending contacted Promenade Trust, which controls the Graceland estate. The company claimed that the trust owed millions for failing to repay a loan. Shortly thereafter, Naussany attempted to auction off the property in a foreclosure sale.
Legal battle and forgeries
Riley Keough, Elvis Presley’s granddaughter who inherited Graceland after her mother Lisa Marie Presley’s death last year, filed a lawsuit against Naussany on May 15. Keough contended that her mother’s signatures on the loan documents were forgeries and that Naussany Investments was a fictitious entity. A judge has since blocked the sale.
Nicole Argentieri, principal deputy assistant attorney general at the Justice Department, stated, “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.” Argentieri added, “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.”
Multiple identities
Officials revealed that Findley operated under various aliases, including Lisa Howell, Gregory Naussany, Kurt Naussany, Lisa Jeanine Sullins, and Carolyn Williams. Prosecutors allege that she posed as three different individuals associated with Naussany Investments, fabricated loan documents with Lisa Marie Presley’s forged signature, and falsely claimed Keough owed millions.
The Department of Justice disclosed that Findley also sent fake emails purporting to be a Nigerian scammer targeting the estate. U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz of Tennessee’s western district commented, “As a Memphian, I know that Graceland is a national treasure. This defendant allegedly used a brazen scheme to try to defraud the Presley family of their interest in this singularly important landmark.”
Graceland’s historic significance
Elvis Presley purchased the iconic Graceland property for $102,500 in 1957, the same year he released hits such as “All Shook Up” and “Blue Christmas.” The musical legend lived there until he died in 1977.