A Missouri woman might end up doing her version of the “Jailhouse Rock” after facing charges Friday in connection with an attempt to sell Graceland, the fabled Memphis, Tennessee, home of Elvis Presley.
In May, a legal notice dropped the bombshell that Graceland would be sold at auction to make good on money borrowed by Elvis’ daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, that was never repaid.
Riley Keough, Lisa Marie Presley’s daughter, secured a temporary restraining order against the sale in May, according to WREG-TV.
“It’s a scam!” Priscilla Presley, the singer’s ex-wife, posted on X at the time.
A Justice Department news release said Lisa Jeanine Findley, 53, of Kimberling City is being charged with mail fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with the incident. The release said Findley is also known as Lisa Holden, Lisa Howell, Gregory Naussany, Kurt Naussany, Lisa Jeanine Sullins, and Carolyn Williams.
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On this day (August 16th) in 1977 Elvis Presley’s girlfriend Ginger Alden found the singer unresponsive on his bathroom floor in his home, Graceland. He was rushed to the hospital, but was then declared dead from cardiac arrest at 3:30pm. He was 42 years old. pic.twitter.com/tgCH4WYD4i
— Dijuno? (@Dijunofacts) August 16, 2024
“Using a series of aliases, email addresses, and fake documents, Findley engaged in a scheme to defraud Elvis Presley’s family for millions of dollars by threatening to foreclose on the ‘Graceland’ estate owned by Mr. Presley’s family and auction Graceland to the highest bidder as part of a fraudulent non-judicial sale she scheduled for May 23, 2024,” the criminal complaint against Findley said.
“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.
“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,” she said.”Now she is facing federal charges. The Criminal Division and its partners are committed to holding fraudsters to account.
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The complaint said Findley allegedly posed as three separate people representing a fake company that claimed Lisa Marie Presley borrowed $3.8 million from the fake company in 2018 and used Graceland as collateral.
The complaint alleges Findley created phony loan documents and forged Lisa Marie Presley’s signature and that of a notary.
The complaint said that once global media attention was focused on the sale, Findley allegedly told the Presley family, court officials and the media that a Nigerian identity thief located in Africa was responsible for the scheme.
“Fame and money are magnets for criminals who look to capitalize on another person’s celebrity status,” Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of U.S. Postal Inspection Service Criminal Investigations Group said.
“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,” he said.
On this day (August 16th) in 1977 Elvis Presley’s girlfriend Ginger Alden found the singer unresponsive on his bathroom floor in his home, Graceland. He was rushed to the hospital, but was then declared dead from cardiac arrest at 3:30pm. He was 42 years old. pic.twitter.com/tgCH4WYD4i
— Dijuno? (@Dijunofacts) August 16, 2024
“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,” he said.
If convicted, Findley faces a mandatory minimum of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft and a maximum of 20 years in prison for mail fraud.
ABC reported that Findley was charged in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, but will be tried in the Western District of Tennessee. She is currently in Greene County Jail in Springfield, Missouri.
