Missouri Woman Sentenced in “Highly Sophisticated” Plot To Steal Graceland From Elvis Presley Family

Elvis Presley lived relatively modestly in his early days of fame, sharing a one-story ranch home in Memphis with his parents. As his star rose, it became clear the “Hound Dog” crooner would need more space and privacy. Giving his parents $100,000 to find a “farmhouse-like property” with plenty of space around it, Elvis Presley purchased Graceland in 1957. He lived there until his death on Aug. 16, 1977, at age 42. Five years later, the home opened to the public as a museum, continuing to draw more than 650,000 visitors annually. Unfortunately, the sprawling 23-room mansion remains a target nearly five decades after the rock star’s death. Last year, police charged a Missouri woman in an extortion plot to “steal” Graceland from Elvis Presley’s family. Now, she must face her punishment.

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U.S. district judge John T Fowlkes Jr sentenced Lisa Jeanine Findley Tuesday (Sept. 23) in federal court in Memphis to four years and nine months behind bars, plus an additional three years of probation. Findley, 54, pleaded guilty in February to a charge of felony mail fraud related to the scheme. 

Findley Forged Elvis Presley’s Late Daughter’s Signature in Graceland Scheme

Prosecutors say that Lisa Findley posed as three different people in a “highly sophisticated” attempt to fraudulently sell Graceland out from under Elvis Presley’s granddaughter, Riley Keogh.

The Kimberling City, Missouri woman falsely claimed that the King’s daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, borrowed $3.8 million from a company called Naussany Investments and put up Graceland’s deed as collateral. Lisa Marie Presley died Jan. 12, 2023, at age 54.

Using the alias “Kurt Naussany,” Findley allegedly sent multiple letters to attorneys representing Lisa Marie’s daughter, Riley Keogh. The 36-year-old singer-songwriter inherited the Memphis property following her mother’s death.

The letters threatened to put Graceland up for sale if the estate did not repay the loan. In May 2024, Naussany Investments began advertising a foreclosure sale for Graceland. In response, Keogh filed her own lawsuit, claiming the loan documents were fake. A judge blocked the foreclosure sale on May 22, 2024—one day before it was set to take place.

[RELATED: Elvis Presley’s Granddaughter Saves Graceland From Being Auctioned Off]

In August 2024, authorities arrested Lisa Jeanine Findley on mail fraud and identity theft charges. After tracking down Findley, a June 2024 report from NBC News uncovered the Missouri grandmother’s “decades-long rap sheet of romance scams, forged checks and bank fraud totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars.” At the time, Findley claimed that she herself was the victim of identity theft.

Featured image by Raymond Boyd/Getty Images.

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