A Missouri woman pleaded guilty Tuesday in the Western District of Tennessee for her role in a scheme to defraud Elvis Presley’s family of millions of dollars and to steal the family’s ownership interest in Graceland, Elvis Presley’s former home in Memphis, Tennessee.
According to court documents, Lisa Jeanine Findley, 53, of Kimberling City, orchestrated a scheme to conduct a fraudulent sale of Graceland — using a fake company, forged documents, and false court filings — by falsely claiming that Elvis Presley’s daughter had pledged Graceland as collateral for a loan that she failed to repay before her death.
Findley threatened to foreclose on Graceland and auction it to the highest bidder if Elvis Presley’s family did not pay or settle the claim against the estate.
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.
After the scheme attracted global media attention, Findley allegedly wrote to representatives of Elvis Presley’s family, the Tennessee state court, and the media to falsely claim that the person responsible for the scheme was a Nigerian identity thief located in Nigeria.
Findley pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud. She is scheduled to be sentenced on June 18 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
