Photo Credit: Graceland Mansion by Joseph Novak / CC by 2.0
A Missouri woman has pleaded guilty in a scheme to auction off Elvis Presley’s Graceland mansion out from under his family.
Lisa Jeanine Findley, the Missouri woman facing a federal charge of mail fraud related to a scheme to defraud Elvis Presley’s family by attempting to sell off his Graceland estate, has pleaded guilty. Findley pleaded guilty during a hearing in front of a Memphis federal judge on Tuesday.
She previously pleaded not guilty to a two-charge indictment, which included a count of aggravated identity theft. That charge will now be dropped. Her sentence takes place on June 18, but thanks to a plea deal, she is expected to face far less than the initial 20 years she would have faced if convicted.
Findley falsely claimed Presley’s daughter borrowed $3.8 million from a (nonexistent) private lender, putting Graceland up as collateral for the loan before her death in January 2023. She then orchestrated a scheme to sell Graceland at auction if the family did not pay a $2.85 million settlement. The whole plot saw Findley posing as three different people allegedly involved with the fake lender, fabricated documents, and a fraudulent foreclosure notice. A judge put a stop to the auction after Presley’s granddaughter filed a lawsuit.
The situation, which would have seen the sale of one of the most celebrated pieces of real estate in the country using entirely fictitious names and documents, has left experts baffled. Graceland opened as a museum and tourist attraction in 1982 and draws thousands of visitors each year. Across the street from the mansion sits a large Presley-themed entertainment complex, owned by Elvis Presley Enterprises.
Presley’s granddaughter, Riley Keough, who inherited the trust and ownership of the home after the death of her mother, Lisa Marie Presley, filed a lawsuit claiming fraud. As a result, a judge halted the proposed auction with an injunction.
According to Keough’s lawsuit, the fraudulent Naussany Investments and Private Lending manufactured documents regarding the loan. Those documents listed notary Kimberly Philbrick, who asserts she had never met Lisa Marie Presley nor notarized any documents for her. Therefore, the judge determined Philbrick’s affidavit brought into question the “authenticity of the signature.”
The Tennessee Attorney General’s office has been investigating the Graceland situation ever since, confirming in June it had escalated the probe to federal authorities. Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti called the scheme “nonsense” and praised the work of federal authorities.
“Graceland matters so much to so many people around the world — just go to Memphis during Elvis Week and listen to all the different accents and languages of fans who make the pilgrimage,” said Skrmetti. “All of Tennessee is glad that Graceland remains safely in the possession of Elvis’ heir and that it will remain a celebrated Memphis landmark for generations to come.”