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The United States Department of Justice announced on Friday that a woman had been arrested for trying to defraud the family of rock and roll icon Elvis Presley and steal the family’s ownership stake of his former home, Graceland.
Lisa Jeanine Findley, 53, of Kimberling City, Missouri, was taken into custody on federal charges of mail fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Findley, also known as Lisa Holden, Lisa Howell, Gregory Naussany, Kurt Naussany, Lisa Jeanine Sullins, and Carolyn Williams, allegedly posed as three different individuals affiliated with a fictitious private lender named Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC (Naussany Investments), according to court documents.
“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,” a Department of Justice press release reads. “To settle the purported claim, Findley allegedly sought $2.85 million from Elvis Presley’s family.
“Findley allegedly fabricated loan documents on which Findley forged the signatures of Elvis Presley’s daughter 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.
“Finally, 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.”
A Missouri woman was arrested this morning 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 Elvis Presley.
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— Criminal Division (@DOJCrimDiv) August 16, 2024
Lisa Jeanine Findley now faces a mandatory minimum of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the mail fraud charge.
“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.
“Postal Inspectors and their law enforcement partners put an end to her alleged scheme, protecting the Presley family from continued harm and stress. This is an example of our relentless investigative work and commitment to bringing criminals to justice for their illegal activity.”