A Missouri woman was arrested on Friday for allegedly attempting to fraudulently seize ownership of Graceland, the historic home of Elvis Presley, from the late singer’s family, according to the US Justice Department.
According to South China Morning Post, Lisa Jeanine Findley, 53, is facing federal charges of mail fraud and identity theft, which could result in a sentence of more than 20 years in prison.
“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,” said Nicole Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, in a statement.
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.”
Court documents reveal that Findley allegedly claimed Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis’s only child who passed away in January 2023, had borrowed $3.8 million in 2018 from a company called Naussany Investments. Findley purported that Lisa Marie had pledged Graceland as collateral for the loan, which remained unpaid.
“Findley allegedly fabricated loan documents on which she forged the signatures of Elvis Presley’s daughter and a Florida State notary public,” the Justice Department said.
A foreclosure sale of Graceland was scheduled for May, but a Tennessee judge blocked the auction at the last minute after Elvis Presley’s granddaughter, actress Riley Keough, filed a lawsuit alleging the loan documents were forgeries.
