A Missouri woman has been arrested on charges of orchestrating a scheme to defraud Elvis Presley’s family out of Graceland, the late singer’s former residence.
Lisa Jeanine Findley, a 53-year-old woman, stands accused of utilizing multiple aliases and forging documents which falsely asserted that the late Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis, had offered Graceland as collateral for a loan she ultimately failed to repay.
“We accuse the defendant of orchestrating a bold scheme, involving the creation of multiple fabricated documents and an attempt to extort a settlement from the Presley family,” stated Nicole M. Argentieri, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General. “Now, she is being charged at the federal level. The Criminal Division and its collaborators are dedicated to ensuring that fraudsters are held responsible for their actions.”
In May, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti made a promise to conduct an investigation following a request from Riley Keough, Presley’s granddaughter. Keough had successfully obtained a stay from federal court, preventing the foreclosure of the property.
According to reports, Findley reportedly asserted that he had received $3.8 million in 2018 from Naussany Investments, a company that was later revealed to be fictitious. Additionally, Findley supposedly pursued $2.85 million from the family of Elvis Presley.
According to reports, Findley is said to have forged the signatures of Elvis Presley’s daughter and a Florida State notary public. He then proceeded to submit a fraudulent creditor’s claim to the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles, as well as a counterfeit deed of trust to the Shelby County Register’s Office in Memphis.
According to reports, there are claims that she took the step of publishing a foreclosure notice in the Memphis Commercial Appeal, which announced an auction of Graceland scheduled for May 23.
After the case garnered widespread attention, Findley reportedly reached out to representatives of Elvis Presley’s family, the Tennessee state court, and the media. In his communications, he falsely claimed that the mastermind behind the scheme was an identity thief from Nigeria.
According to Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of U.S. Postal Inspection Service Criminal Investigations Group, Ms. Findley is accused of exploiting the well-known and heartbreaking events in the Presley family as a means to exploit the name and wealth of the heirs to the Graceland estate. She allegedly attempted to unlawfully take what rightfully belongs to the Presley family for her own personal gain. Fortunately, Postal Inspectors and their law enforcement partners intervened and put an end to her alleged scheme, safeguarding the Presley family from further harm and distress.