A woman from Missouri was taken into custody on Friday morning and charged with being involved in a fraudulent foreclosure plot targeting Graceland, the iconic residence of musician Elvis Presley, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice. Interestingly, Friday marks the anniversary of Presley’s passing.

Lisa Jeanine Findley, who has also gone by several names including Lisa Holden, Lisa Howell, Gregory Naussany, Kurt Naussany, Lisa Jeanine Sullins, and Carolyn Williams, was charged in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri.

The criminal complaint, consisting of 30 pages, accuses Findley of aggravated identity theft and mail fraud.

“According to the allegations in the complaint, the defendant led a scheme to carry out a fake sale of Graceland, falsely asserting that Elvis Presley’s daughter had offered the famous property as security for a loan she did not repay before her death,” stated Nicole M. Argentieri, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General and head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.

“As part of this audacious plan, the defendant allegedly manufactured numerous fraudulent documents and attempted to extort a settlement from the Presley family. Now, she faces federal charges. The Criminal Division, along with its partners, is dedicated to bringing fraudsters to justice,” the statement added.

Kevin Ritz, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, who has deep ties to Memphis and has been nominated by President Joe Biden for a federal judgeship, described the scheme as “brazen” and affirmed that the DOJ “will vigorously pursue anyone involved in financial crimes or identity theft.”

Naussany Investments began publishing three foreclosure notices starting May 6, indicating a public auction for the historic home in Memphis. However, on May 22, Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins halted the foreclosure sale following a hearing in the Shelby County Chancery Court.

As detailed in the charging documents, Findley established Naussany Investments and unlawfully used the name and signature of Lisa Marie Presley, in addition to other individuals’ names, signatures, and notary seals to fabricate fake loan documents that falsely represented an agreement for Lisa Marie Presley to borrow $3.8 million from Naussany Investments, using Graceland as collateral. This included a falsified promissory note and deed of trust.

Investigators discovered that the email for Naussany Investments had been registered on July 14, 2023, based on records provided by Microsoft.

‘Crime Flourishes in the Spotlight’: Investigators Critique Defendant’s Exploitation of Presley Family Fame

Findley, arrested in Kimberling, Missouri, began threatening to foreclose on Graceland shortly after the creation of the email, allegedly for the unpaid loan of $3.8 million. On July 28, 2023, a “creditor’s claim” package was sent from Kimberling to Lisa Marie Presley’s business manager located in Woodland Hills, California, which was meant to be filed in the California Superior Court.

Officials traced Findley through a PO Box rented under one of her aliases, Lisa Holden. Additionally, a phone number associated with the creditor’s claim was linked to her as well, according to officials.

Multiple packages sent from the same post office in Kimberling under various aliases also contained sworn affidavits that officials assert were fraudulent.

According to court documents, the original charging complaint was filed under seal on Thursday, suggesting that there were concerns the defendant might flee, destroy evidence, or attempt to influence witnesses if they became aware of the investigation’s existence, as the inquiry was still ongoing.

Before the foreclosure sale could occur, Riley Keough, an actress and the daughter of Lisa Marie Presley, took legal action to block the sale.

Following a hearing on May 24, the Memphis law firm Morton & Germany posted the court-ordered injunction bond. This firm represents Riley Keough and The Promenade Trust, which controls Graceland’s ownership, and they filed a countersuit claiming the foreclosure efforts were fraudulent.

A series of emails filled with grammatical mistakes were dispatched to lawyers and news organizations, including The Commercial Appeal. On May 25, The CA got a follow-up email from someone claiming to be Kurt Naussany, one of the aliases that officials say Findley used.

This second email was written in Spanish and alleged that the supposed Naussany Investments firm was the “Yahoo Ring Leader of Nigeria.” Both The New York Times and The Daily Memphian reported receiving similar emails from someone named Kurt Naussany. The communications to other news organizations were in various languages and included slightly different information, yet all claimed involvement in dishonest and predatory activities.

The Department of Justice claims that all names affiliated with Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC were actually used by Findley, and “after the scheme gained international media coverage, Findley supposedly contacted representatives of Elvis Presley’s family, the Tennessee state court, and the press to falsely assert that the individual behind the scheme was a Nigerian identity thief based in Nigeria.”

Inspector in Charge Eric Shen from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Criminal Investigations Group stated, “Fame and money attract criminals seeking to exploit another person’s celebrity.” In this case, it is alleged that Ms. Findley exploited the very public and tragic events within the Presley family to take advantage of the name and financial resources of the heirs to the Graceland estate, attempting to seize what rightfully belongs to the Presley family for her own benefit.”