Woman sentenced to nearly five years for trying to sell Graceland

In August 2024, a Missouri woman named Lisa Jeanine Findley was arrested for her involvement in a fraudulent scheme to auction off Graceland, the famed estate of Elvis Presley, located in Memphis, Tennessee. Findley, aged 54, concocted a deceitful plan claiming that Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis's daughter, borrowed $3.8 million from a fictitious private lender, using Graceland as collateral before her unexpected death earlier that same year. To further her plot, Findley forged documents, including a Deed of Trust, and threatened to sell the property to the highest bidder if the Presley family did not meet a supposed settlement demand of $2.85 million. The scheme was notable for its brazen character and the use of fabricated identities purportedly associated with her invented lender. On May 25, 2024, Findley published a foreclosure notice in a Memphis newspaper announcing an auction of the 13-acre estate. However, the public notice triggered legal action from Riley Keough, the granddaughter of Elvis Presley, who sought a temporary injunction that ultimately succeeded in halting the sale just hours before it was to take place. The presiding judge noted that suspicions were raised regarding the authenticity of the names and signatures involved in the documents associated with the scheme, leading to an investigation. Findley's fraudulent tactics included impersonating individuals to manipulate public trust and mislead legal entities. During the investigation, when confronted, she attempted to deflect blame onto non-existent conspirators, even concocting a story about a Nigerian fraud ring being the actual perpetrators behind the scheme. Despite the bizarre nature of her actions, a federal judge took the matter seriously, emphasizing the necessity of deterring similar misconduct in the future. In February 2025, Findley pleaded guilty to charges of mail fraud and faced sentencing shortly thereafter. The court imposed a total of 57 months in federal prison, alongside three years of supervised probation, stressing the importance of conveying the gravity of her actions. Ultimately, Findley's attempt to exploit one of America’s most cherished pieces of real estate not only failed spectacularly but also led to severe repercussions for her criminal activities.