A woman has confessed to attempting to defraud the family of Elvis Presley by trying to auction off his Graceland mansion and property, a scheme that was halted by a judge before the mysterious foreclosure sale could proceed. Lisa Jeanine Findley, who initially pleaded not guilty to charges of mail fraud and aggravated identity theft, has now changed her plea in response to a two-count indictment.
Prosecutors allege that Findley, from Kimberling City, Missouri, falsely asserted that Presley’s daughter, Lisa Marie, had borrowed $3.8 million from a fictitious private lender and had used Graceland as collateral for the loan prior to her death in January 2023. Findley reportedly threatened to sell Graceland to the highest bidder unless Presley’s family paid a $2.85 million settlement.
Authorities claim she impersonated three individuals supposedly connected to the fake lender, forged loan documents, and published a fraudulent foreclosure notice in a Memphis newspaper, announcing an auction for Graceland scheduled for May 2024. The sale was halted after Riley Keough, Presley’s granddaughter and Lisa Marie’s daughter, filed a lawsuit.
Experts expressed disbelief at the attempt to sell one of the nation’s most iconic properties using names, emails, and documents that were quickly deemed suspicious. Graceland, which opened as a museum and tourist attraction in 1982, attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, while a large Presley-themed entertainment complex across the street is owned by Elvis Presley Enterprises.
Elvis Presley, known as the King of Rock and Roll, passed away in August 1977 at the age of 42. Following her mother’s death, Keough inherited the trust and ownership of Graceland and filed a lawsuit alleging fraud against Findley, prompting the judge to issue an injunction to stop the proposed auction. The fraudulent lender, Naussany Investments and Private Lending, claimed in the foreclosure notice that Lisa Marie Presley had used Graceland as collateral for the loan. The judge indicated that Elvis Presley’s estate could successfully argue that the auction attempt was fraudulent.
