Missouri woman sentenced to more than four years in prison for scheme to steal Graceland from Elvis Presley family

A Missouri woman was sentenced to more than four years in prison for a brazen scheme to fraudulently take Graceland, the Elvis Presley estate, from the singer’s family. Lisa Jeanine Findley, 54, pleaded guilty to felony mail fraud earlier this year after prosecutors said she used a fake company, falsified court filings, a fabricated loan and the forged signature of Presley's late daughter to pry the estate away from the Presley family.

The case centered on a purported loan linked to Graceland. Prosecutors said Findley created a bogus lender identity under the name Naussany Investments and used several aliases to pose as the creditor. She allegedly threatened foreclosure on Graceland and an accompanying auction unless the Presley family settled a claimed debt for $2.85 million. The indictment contends that she filed a creditor’s claim in California, submitted false loan documents in Tennessee, and published a foreclosure sale notice in a local newspaper.

Elvis Presley Enterprises, which operates the historic estate, said at the time that no loan existed and that the estate would defend its ownership. After the allegations drew national attention, Riley Keough, Presley’s granddaughter and the executor of the estate, sought to halt any sale. A judge subsequently blocked the auction as the case moved through the courts. Graceland, a 120-acre property that drew about half a million visitors annually, remains a cornerstone of Presley’s cultural legacy and a National Historic Landmark.

The timeline stretches back to 2023, when Lisa Marie Presley died, passing Graceland to her daughter Riley Keough. In 2024, Findley’s purported lender case surfaced publicly, prompting scrutiny over the estate’s control and the legitimacy of the claimed loan. Federal authorities arrested Findley in August 2024 and charged her with mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. In February, Findley pleaded guilty to mail fraud and told the judge she accepted responsibility for her actions. Prosecutors described the scheme as a “wild scheme” that was “highly sophisticated,” a characterization the judge echoed in court.

The Justice Department’s filing and court records describe a coordinated effort to masquerade as a legitimate creditor, exploit legal filings across jurisdictions and manufacture the impression that Graceland faced a looming foreclosure. The defense has not publicly contested the core allegations of fraud, and the sentencing on the mail fraud conviction reflects the government’s confidence in the evidence gathered by investigators.

The case underscores the ongoing tension between high-value cultural assets and the legal tools used to protect them. Graceland’s status as a national symbol of American rock history makes it a frequent target for attention from fans, media and legal observers alike. While the Presley family has faced various challenges in managing the estate’s vast legacy, prosecutors said Findley’s actions crossed lines into criminal activity intended to seize control of a property with deep personal significance to Presley’s relatives and the broader public.

As the estate continues to operate tours, maintain the residence and curate Presley’s legacy, authorities say these kinds of fraud attempts, though relatively rare, illustrate the vulnerabilities that can accompany high-profile assets. The judge’s sentence sends a message that prosecutors and the courts will pursue and punish schemes that use altered documents, fake entities and manufactured debts to try to claim ownership of beloved cultural landmarks.

The Presley family has not spoken publicly beyond court filings and statements from Elvis Presley Enterprises noting that no loan existed and that the case would proceed through the appropriate legal channels. The broader cultural conversation around Graceland's preservation continues, with ongoing efforts to balance commercial interests, public access and respect for the estate’s history.