A Missouri woman with a history of minor scams and fraud was arrested on Friday morning on federal charges related to a scheme aimed at extorting millions from Elvis Presley’s family and stealing their ownership stake in Graceland, the late rock legend’s former home in Memphis, according to prosecutors.
Lisa Jeanine Findley, 53, also known as Lisa Holden and multiple other aliases, faces charges of mail fraud and aggravated identity theft in a criminal complaint that was unsealed on Friday.
Findley made her first court appearance on Friday afternoon before Magistrate Judge David Rush at the United States Courthouse in Springfield, Missouri. During the brief seven-minute hearing, she was appointed a public defender.
She waived her rights to a preliminary and detention hearing and consented to have those hearings conducted in the Western District of Tennessee, where prosecutors requested her detention. Findley will be transferred to that district and remains in custody.
Prosecutors allege that she was the mastermind behind a fraudulent scheme involving the unlawful sale of Graceland. NBC News previously reported on Findley’s alleged connections to the Graceland plot, which included the use of fake identities, post office boxes, and phone lines that appeared to associate her with the scam.
An anonymous source described a chaotic scene during her arrest at her home in Kimberling City, where “at least 15 cops” were involved in executing the warrant.
The attorney listed as Findley’s representative in court documents did not respond immediately to a request for comments. In a June interview outside her home, Findley denied any connections to a Graceland scam, although associated online accounts were deleted shortly after her remarks.
The Graceland scheme first came to light in May when a company named Naussany Investments, lacking any legitimate records, filed a court claim stating that Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis’s only child who passed away in January 2023, owed millions in unpaid loans.
After the Presley family did not respond to the claim, Naussany Investments attempted to initiate a foreclosure sale of Graceland to recover the supposed debt. The case garnered international attention but was dismissed by a Tennessee judge who determined that the company’s documents were likely forged. An individual claiming to represent the scammers later contacted media outlets, including NBC News, suggesting that a group of Nigerian identity thieves was behind the scheme.
NBC News initially linked Findley to the plot in June. A phony Facebook profile associated with the fictitious company attempting to enforce the foreclosure led to the discovery of numerous other fraudulent links, including fake emails and online reviews, all uncovered through various investigations.
Rasheed Jeremy Carballo, a former acquaintance of Findley, testified before a grand jury regarding the alleged scam and revealed that Findley had spoken to him about a lucrative deal involving Lisa Marie Presley’s home.
According to the charging documents, Findley reportedly forged names, signatures, and notary seals to fabricate loan documents. The complaint also details findings by FBI investigators who traced phone calls and emails to Findley, including communications with the Shelby County Register’s Office, where the counterfeit Graceland deed was filed. They further noted that the bank account linked to Naussany Investments for payments was actually Findley’s personal checking account.