Current:Home > ContactRekubit-Graceland fraud suspect pleads not guilty to aggravated identity theft, mail fraud -Wealth Empowerment Zone
Rekubit-Graceland fraud suspect pleads not guilty to aggravated identity theft, mail fraud
Robert Brown View
Date:2025-04-11 08:48:18
The RekubitGraceland fraud case could be headed to trial.
Magistrate Judge Annie T. Christoff of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee ruled Friday that a detention hearing in U.S.A. versus Lisa Jeanine Findley be delayed until Sept. 20 after the defense requested that it be rescheduled.
Findley is charged with mail fraud and aggravated identity theft and could face up to 40 years in prison plus fines in connection with the case.
Findley was indicted by a grand jury on Sept. 10. She remained in federal custody Friday and pleaded not guilty to the charges after the indictment was presented and read to her by her consul, Judge Christoff said.
Findley was in court Friday wearing an orange jumpsuit over her clothing. She had jet black, curly hair and wore black-rimmed glasses.
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Findley, 53, was arrested on Aug. 16 in Missouri.
Lisa Jeanine Findley allegedly used aliases, company to seize Graceland
The case against Findley details an alleged fraud scam meant to seize the Graceland estate and assets from Elvis Presley's family. Findley allegedly used several aliases in her efforts to secure the estate, which back to January 2023, and allegedly created a company, Naussany Investments and Private Lending, to help bolster her claims, authorities say in charging documents.
Aliases named in the criminal suit include:
- Lisa Holden
- Lisa Howell
- Gregory Naussany
- Kurt Naussany
- Lisa Jeanine Sullins
- Carolyn Williams
What happened in the alleged Graceland fraud scheme?
Findley has a history of identity theft and fraud with previous convictions dating back to her time in Oklahoma.
The Graceland case came to light in May 2024 after a notice was printed in The Commercial Appeal, part of the USA TODAY network, saying the estate would soon be up for public auction.
The notice alleged that Promenade Trust, which controls the Graceland estate, owed $3.8 million to Naussany Investments and Private Lending after failing to repay a loan taken out by Lisa Marie Presley on May 16, 2018. Naussany said Graceland was used as collateral on the loan.
Riley Keough, who inherited Promenade Trust after her mother's death in January 2023, filed suit to stop the sale. In the lawsuit, Keough claimed Naussany presented fraudulent documents regarding the loan and unpaid sum in September 2023. She also requested that a judge declare the deed of trust that Naussany Investments claimed to have to be fraudulent.
"Lisa Marie Presley never borrowed money from Naussany Investments and never gave a deed of trust to Naussany Investments," the lawsuit claimed. Keough also alleged Naussany Investments and Private Lending LLC as "not a real entity."
The sale was blocked by Shelby County Chancery Court Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins on May 22.
The case would take several turns after that initial injunction, including the appearance of a "Gregory Naussany," who would first claim that Naussany Investments and Private Lending were withdrawing their claims.
Later, "Gregory Naussany" claimed the whole attempt to steal Graceland was orchestrated by the "Yahoo Ring Leader of Nigeria."
veryGood! (1875)
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