A woman named Lisa Jeanine Findley, who allegedly goes by several other aliases, was arrested on Friday in connection to an alleged scheme to defraud the Presley family out of Elvis’ Graceland property

Graceland in Memphis, TN in 2014. . Photo: Chris Melzer/picture alliance via Getty

On Friday, a Missouri woman was charged with mail fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection to an alleged scheme to sell Graceland
The Office of Public Affairs claims that the woman, Lisa Jeanine Findley, goes by several aliases affiliated with the private lending company that tried to sell the famed property in a foreclosure auction earlier this year
Findley has been accused of trying to defraud the Presley family and steal their ownership interest in Graceland

A Missouri woman has been arrested and charged with allegedly attempting to fraudulently sell Elvis Presley’s Graceland home.

On Friday, Aug. 16, the Office of Public Affairs announced via a press release that federal charges have been filed against Lisa Jeanine Findley — also known as Lisa Holden, Lisa Howell, Gregory Naussany, Kurt Naussany, Lisa Jeanine Sullins, and Carolyn Williams — 53, of Kimberling City, Missouri, in connection to an alleged scheme to defraud the Presley family and steal their ownership interest in the famed Memphis property.

According to Nicole M. Argentieri — Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General and head of the Justice Department’s criminal division — Findley was charged in a criminal complaint unsealed following her arrest, which alleges that she “orchestrated a scheme to conduct a fraudulent sale of Graceland” and falsely claimed that Presley’s daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, “pledged the historic landmark as collateral for a loan that she failed to repay before her death.”

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“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,” Argentieri added in a statement. “Now she is facing federal charges. The Criminal Division and its partners are committed to holding fraudsters to account.”

Acknowledging Presley’s Graceland home as a “national treasure,” U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz said in a statement that “the Department of Justice will vigorously prosecute anyone who commits financial crimes or identity theft.”

Findley was charged with mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. If convicted, she faces a mandatory minimum of two years in prison for the latter charge and a maximum penalty of 20 years for the former. She’s scheduled to make her first appearance in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri later on Friday.

Riley Keough; Graceland.Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal via Getty; Raymond Boyd/Getty

Back in May, Riley Keough, Presley’s granddaughter and the heir to Graceland, condemned a foreclosure sale of her late grandfather’s famed property, calling it “fraudulent” in a 60-page lawsuit.

According to court documents previously obtained by PEOPLE, the Under the Bridge actress sought to block a company named Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC, which was allegedly connected to Findley, from selling Presley’s Memphis estate in a foreclosure auction that was scheduled that week.

In her filing, Keough claimed that Findley’s alleged company may not even be “a real entity.” Meanwhile, the Office of Public Affairs alleged that the Missouri woman “posed as three different individuals” affiliated with the “fictitious private lender” in order to falsely accuse the late Lisa Marie of borrowing $3.8 million from Naussany Investments in 2018 and pledging Graceland as collateral for the loan that allegedly went unpaid.

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“To settle the purported claim, Findley allegedly sought $2.85 million from Elvis Presley’s family,” officials claimed. “Findley allegedly fabricated loan documents on which Findley forged the signatures of Elvis Presley’s daughter and a Florida State notary public. Findley then allegedly filed a false creditor’s claim with the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles, and a fake deed of trust with the Shelby County Register’s Office in Memphis.”

The Office of Public Affairs also claimed that Findley “allegedly published a fraudulent foreclosure notice” in the local Memphis newspaper, The Commercial Appeal, to announce that Naussany Investments planned to auction Graceland to the “highest bidder” on May 23. A Tennessee judge ultimately blocked the sale just hours after Findley’s alleged company dropped all claims on the property.

Graceland, home of the late Elvis Presley in Memphis, Tennessee on October 3, 2016.Raymond Boyd/Getty

According to officials, when Naussany Investments was sued in Tennessee state court to halt the Graceland sale, Findley allegedly “submitted false court filings.” They also claimed that, after the scheme made global headlines, the Missouri native allegedly “wrote to representatives of Elvis Presley’s family, the Tennessee state court, and the media to claim falsely that the person responsible for the scheme was a Nigerian identity thief located in Nigeria.”

“Fame and money are magnets for criminals who look to capitalize on another person’s celebrity status,” Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group said in a statement. “In this case, Ms. Findley allegedly took advantage of the very public and tragic occurrences in the Presley family as an opportunity to prey on the name and financial status of the heirs to the Graceland estate, attempting to steal what rightfully belongs to the Presley family for her personal gain.”

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“Postal Inspectors and their law enforcement partners put an end to her alleged scheme, protecting the Presley family from continued harm and stress,” Shen’s statement continued. “This is an example of our relentless investigative work and commitment to bringing criminals to justice for their illegal activity.”

Addressing Findley’s charges, Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Memphis Field Office said in a statement that Friday’s announcement “shows our broad approach to investigating allegations of identity theft and mail fraud, which can affect people from all walks of life.”

He added, “We will continue to vigorously pursue cases against individuals, in the United States and abroad, who would steal an identity and use fraud to benefit themselves personally.”

Findley’s case is currently being investigated by the USPIS and FBI Memphis Field Office with “significant assistance” from the FBI Kansas City Field Office.