A Missouri woman was arrested Friday on federal charges in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud Elvis Presley’s family of millions of dollars, officials stated.
She also allegedly planned to steal the family’s ownership interest in Graceland, the former home of Elvis Presley, located in Memphis, Tennessee, officials stated.
Lisa Jeanine Findley, also known as Lisa Holden, Lisa Howell, Gregory Naussany, Kurt Naussany, Lisa Jeanine Sullins, and Carolyn Williams, 53, of Kimberling City, Missouri, was charged in a criminal complaint unsealed Friday after her arrest.
“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,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “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. Now she is facing federal charges. The Criminal Division and its partners are committed to holding fraudsters to account.”
“As a Memphian, I know that Graceland is a national treasure,” said U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee.
According to court documents, Findley allegedly posed as three different individuals affiliated with a fictitious private lender named Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC (Naussany Investments).
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.
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, Findley allegedly submitted false court filings when Elvis Presley’s family sued Naussany Investments in Tennessee state court to stop the sale of Graceland.
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 claim falsely that the person responsible for the scheme was a Nigerian identity thief located in Nigeria.
Findley is charged with mail fraud and aggravated identity theft.
If convicted, she faces a mandatory minimum of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for mail fraud.
Findley is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
USPIS and the FBI Memphis Field Office are investigating the case with significant assistance from the FBI Kansas City Field Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Chief Cory E. Jacobs, Trial Attorney Christopher Fenton of the Fraud Section of the Criminal Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carroll L. André III for the Western District of Tennessee.