A Missouri woman was apprehended on Friday morning on federal charges for an alleged scheme to defraud Elvis Presley ‘s family of “millions” and seize ownership of his Graceland estate.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the individual in question is 53-year-old Lisa Jeanine Findley, who has also used the aliases Lisa Holden, Lisa Howell, Gregory Naussany, Kurt Naussany, Lisa Jeanine Sullins, and Carolyn Williams. She is scheduled to appear later today in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri.

Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s criminal division and principal deputy assistant attorney general, said in a statement that Findley allegedly “orchestrated a scheme to conduct a fraudulent sale of Graceland, falsely claiming that Elvis Presley’s daughter had pledged the historic landmark as collateral for a loan that she failed to repay before her death. As part of the brazen scheme, we allege that the defendant created numerous false documents and sought to extort a settlement from the Presley family. Now she is facing federal charges. The criminal division and its partners are committed to holding fraudsters to account.”

The complaint alleges that Findley impersonated three different individuals employed by a fictitious private lending firm named Naussany Investments. She falsely claimed that Presley's late daughter, Lisa Marie, had borrowed $3.8 million in 2018 and used Graceland as collateral for the loan. Findley asserted that Lisa Marie failed to repay the loan before her passing in January 2023 and sought $2.85 million from Presley's family. She allegedly fabricated loan documents, forged the signatures of Lisa Marie Presley and a Florida state notary, filed a fraudulent creditor's claim with the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles, and a falsified deed of trust with the Shelby County Register's Office in Memphis.

Earlier this year, Findley allegedly published a deceptive foreclosure notice in the local newspaper, The Commercial Appeal, falsely advertising that Naussany would auction off Graceland to the highest bidder on May 23. Subsequently, when Presley's family took legal action against Naussany in Tennessee state court, Findley allegedly submitted fabricated court documents. Findley then allegedly claimed that a Nigerian identity thief was responsible for the scheme.

Findley has been charged with mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. If found guilty, she faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence of two years for identity theft and a maximum of 20 years in prison for mail fraud.

“Fame and fortune attract criminals who seek to exploit the celebrity status of others,” stated Eric Shen, inspector in charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group. “In this case, Ms. Findley allegedly capitalized on the highly publicized and tragic events within the Presley family, attempting to take advantage of the name and financial standing of the heirs to the Graceland estate. She allegedly sought to steal what rightfully belongs to the Presley family for her own personal gain. Postal Inspectors and their law enforcement partners successfully thwarted her alleged scheme, protecting the Presley family from further harm and stress. This case exemplifies our unwavering investigative efforts and commitment to holding criminals accountable for their illegal actions.”

The news comes in the wake of a dispute regarding the ownership of Graceland following the passing of Lisa Marie Presley, who had previously inherited the estate. Her eldest daughter, actress Riley Keough, was designated as the sole trustee and owner after her mother's death. However, Lisa Marie's mother, Priscilla Presley, challenged the legitimacy of this decision. Priscilla Presley argued that the 2016 amendment to Lisa Marie's trust, which named Keough as the sole trustee, was questionable, citing inconsistencies in signatures. Prior to this change, Priscilla Presley was scheduled to be a co-trustee of Graceland alongside Lisa Marie's former business manager, Barry Siegel. Nevertheless, Keough and Priscilla Presley eventually reached a financial settlement, with Keough maintaining her position as sole trustee and Priscilla Presley assuming a “special advisor” role.