Graceland fraud plot leads to prison: Lisa Findley sentenced in bid to sell Elvis Presley’s estate

A federal judge in Memphis on Tuesday sentenced Lisa Jeanine Findley, 54, to four years and nine months in prison for a mail fraud scheme that sought to defraud Elvis Presley’s family and the estate by falsely claiming ownership rights to Graceland." Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr. also ordered three years of probation.

Findley had pleaded guilty in February to one count of mail fraud, with an additional charge of aggravated identity theft dropped as part of the plea agreement, prosecutors said. The career scammer from Kimberling City, Missouri, adopted multiple personas to carry out the scheme, including identifying herself as a man named “Kurt Naussany” of a fake firm, Naussany Investments and Private Lending, and forging documents bearing Lisa Marie Presley’s signature to back the claim to Graceland.

She even published a fake foreclosure notice for Graceland in a Memphis newspaper, prosecutors said, and warned that the historic mansion would be auctioned if the Presley family did not settle the fictitious loan. In all, prosecutors alleged the plot sought about $2.8 million to resolve a fake $3.8 million loan tied to the estate, which Presley’s heirs have long safeguarded.

The sentencing comes as authorities highlighted the audacious reach of the ruse. The scheme’s central claim—that Lisa Marie Presley had pledged Graceland as collateral for a loan made before her death in January 2023—was never legitimate. The Presley family’s eldest daughter, Riley Keough, filed a lawsuit challenging the supposed loan and foreclosure, a move that helped expose the ploy and halt the fraudulent activity before any sale could occur.

Findley’s case attracted national attention as investigators and reporters pieced together how the plot unfolded. NBC News and other outlets reported that, during the course of the scheme, emails circulated that claimed identity thieves were behind the alleged fraud, a claim investigators described as part of the broader attempt to misdirect scrutiny. The Presley family has continually worked to protect Graceland from similar schemes that would exploit public affection for Elvis and his legacy.

The Graceland scheme was not Findley’s first foray into fraud. NBC News noted a long history of romance scams, forged checks, and bank fraud tied to her name, including prior federal prison time for taking out false loans. In court filings, her defense team pressed for leniency, arguing the operation was short in duration and not profitable for Findley.

“This outrageously concocted scheme was, to quote Marvin Gaye, ‘doomed from the start,’” wrote court-appointed public defender Tyrone Paylor in a filing that asked the judge to temper the sentence given the lack of sustained payoff.

The judge ultimately handed down the sentence of prison time plus probation, underscoring the federal government’s stance that attacking a high-profile cultural property like Graceland demands serious consequences. Findley will serve the prison term in federal custody with three years of supervised probation to follow.

Images contextualizing the case show the landmark that lies at the heart of the dispute and the woman at its center.

The Graceland property—home to Elvis Presley for decades and a major tourist site—has long been a symbol of the singer’s legacy and a source of revenue and cultural preservation for his family. The sentencing marks a clear legal response to individuals who attempt to exploit that legacy for personal gain, and it adds to a broader enforcement effort against fraud tied to famous estates and other prized assets.

Prosecutors characterized the case as a calculated attempt to co-opt a beloved cultural property for monetary profit, while defense counsel emphasized the steps taken to resolve the matter through plea negotiations and the limited duration of the scheme. The Presley family’s litigation and public statements since the death of Lisa Marie Presley in January 2023 illustrate the ongoing vigilance required to protect Graceland from similar threats.

The sentencing also cited Findley’s prior offenses and pattern of fraud, but the court’s decision reflects the seriousness of the crime as it relates to the potential financial impact on a prominent family and a globally recognized landmark. The Presley estate’s representatives did not respond to requests for comment in time for publication, but officials have previously stressed the importance of safeguarding Graceland against scams that seek to weaponize affection for Elvis’s legacy.

As the case closes, authorities reiterate that impersonation, forged documents, and the use of fictitious lending entities in order to induce payments or threaten public sale of a property can trigger significant penalties. The lesson for potential victims and the public is clear: verification and due diligence are essential, especially when confronted with claims involving iconic assets and celebrated figures.