Current:Home > MarketsWoman charged with trying to defraud Elvis Presley’s family through sale of Graceland-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Woman charged with trying to defraud Elvis Presley’s family through sale of Graceland
View Date:2024-12-24 00:12:31
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Missouri woman has been arrested on charges she orchestrated a scheme to defraud Elvis Presley’s family by trying to auction off his Graceland mansion and property before a judge halted the mysterious foreclosure sale, the Justice Department said Friday.
Lisa Jeanine Findley, 53, of Kimberling City, Missouri, falsely claimed Presley’s daughter borrowed $3.8 million from a bogus private lender and pledged Graceland as collateral for the loan. She fabricated loan documents, tried extort Presley’s family out of $2.85 million to settle the matter, and published a fraudulent foreclosure notice in a Memphis newspaper announcing that Graceland would be auctioned off to the highest bidder, prosecutors said.
Graceland opened as a museum and tourist attraction in 1982 and draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. A large Presley-themed entertainment complex across the street from the museum is owned by Elvis Presley Enterprises.
“Ms. Findley allegedly took advantage of the very public and tragic occurrences in the Presley family as an opportunity to prey on the name and financial status of the heirs to the Graceland estate, attempting to steal what rightfully belongs to the Presley family for her personal gain,” said Eric Shen, inspector in charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Criminal Investigations Group.
An attorney for Findley, who used multiple aliases, was not listed in court documents and a telephone number was not immediately available in public records. An email seeking comment sent to an address prosecutors say Findley had used in the scheme was not immediately returned.
In May, a public notice for a foreclosure sale of the 13-acre (5-hectare) estate said Promenade Trust, which controls the Graceland museum, owes $3.8 million after failing to repay a 2018 loan. Riley Keough, Presley’s granddaughter and an actor, inherited the trust and ownership of the home after the death of her mother, Lisa Marie Presley, last year.
Keough filed a lawsuit claiming fraud, and a judge halted the proposed auction with an injunction. Naussany Investments and Private Lending said Lisa Marie Presley had used Graceland as collateral for the loan, according to the foreclosure sale notice. Keough’s lawsuit alleged that Naussany presented fraudulent documents regarding the loan in September 2023 and that Lisa Maria Presley never borrowed money from Naussany.
Kimberly Philbrick, the notary whose name is listed on Naussany’s documents, indicated she never met Lisa Marie Presley nor notarized any documents for her, according to the estate’s lawsuit. Jenkins, the judge, said the notary’s affidavit brings into question “the authenticity of the signature.”
A judge in May halted the foreclosure sale of the beloved Memphis tourist attraction, saying Elvis Presley’s estate could be successful in arguing that a company’s attempt to auction Graceland was fraudulent.
The Tennessee attorney general’s office had been investigating the Graceland controversy, then confirmed in June that it handed the probe over to federal authorities.
A statement emailed to The Associated Press after the judge stopped the sale said Naussany would not proceed because a key document in the case and the loan were recorded and obtained in a different state, meaning “legal action would have to be filed in multiple states.” The statement, sent from an email address listed in court documents, did not specify the other state.
An email sent May 25 to the AP from the same address said in Spanish that the foreclosure sale attempt was made by a Nigerian fraud ring that targets old and dead people in the U.S. and uses the Internet to steal money.
_____
Mattise reported from Nashville, Tennessee.
veryGood! (7)
Related
- Tony Todd, star of 'Candyman,' 'Final Destination,' dies at 69
- Barry Keoghan reveals he battled flesh-eating disease: 'I'm not gonna die, right?'
- The largest great ape to ever live went extinct because of climate change, says new study
- Sports gambling creeps forward again in Georgia, but prospects for success remain cloudy
- What that 'Disclaimer' twist says about the misogyny in all of us
- SEC chair denies a bitcoin ETF has been approved, says account on X was hacked
- South Carolina no longer has the least number of women in its Senate after latest swearing-in
- A teen on the Alaska Airlines flight had his shirt ripped off when the door plug blew. A stranger tried to help calm him down.
- Lunchables get early dismissal: Kraft Heinz pulls the iconic snack from school lunches
- Save 50% on a Year’s Worth of StriVectin Tightening Neck Cream and Say Goodbye to Tech Neck Forever
Ranking
- My Chemical Romance returns with ‘The Black Parade’ tour
- City council committee recommends replacing Memphis police chief, 1 year after Tyre Nichols death
- US defends its veto of call for Gaza ceasefire while Palestinians and others demand halt to fighting
- NPR's 24 most anticipated video games of 2024
- Northern Taurid meteor shower hits peak activity this week: When and where to watch
- A judge has temporarily halted enforcement of an Ohio law limiting kids’ use of social media
- Virginia General Assembly set to open 2024 session with Democrats in full control of the Capitol
- Mahomes, Stafford, Flacco: Who are the best QBs in this playoff field? Ranking all 14
Recommendation
-
Singles' Day vs. Black Friday: Which Has the Best Deals for Smart Shoppers?
-
Olympic skater under investigation for alleged sexual assault missing Canadian nationals
-
Cesarean deliveries surge in Puerto Rico, reaching a record rate in the US territory, report says
-
ChatGPT-maker braces for fight with New York Times and authors on ‘fair use’ of copyrighted works
-
Amtrak service disrupted after fire near tracks in New York City
-
With threats, pressure and financial lures, China seen as aiming to influence Taiwan’s elections
-
Migrant families begin leaving NYC hotels as first eviction notices kick in
-
DeSantis and Haley go head to head: How to watch the fifth Republican presidential debate