FBI takes over probe into failed Graceland sale: Report
- Investigation is ongoing into the failed sale of Graceland
- Graceland was to be auctioned off; Tennessee judge blocked effort
- Riley Keough: Graceland loan docs are ‘fraud,’ mother’s signature forged
FILE – Fans wait in line outside Graceland, Elvis Presley’s Memphis home, in Memphis, Tenn., Aug. 15, 2017. A mysterious company has caused a stir for trying to auction Elvis Presley’s Graceland in a foreclosure sale this week. A judge has blocked the sale after Presley’s granddaughter filed a lawsuit alleging fraud. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill, File)
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. (NewsNation) — The investigation into the failed sale of Elvis Presley’s home Graceland at a foreclosure auction has been transferred to federal authorities, according to a spokesperson for Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti.
In a statement to The Commercial Appeal, spokesperson Amy Lannom Wilhite said the investigation “was a matter best suited for federal law enforcement.”
“We have faith in our federal partners and know they will handle this appropriately,” the statement said.
It was not immediately clear Wednesday which federal authorities would be investigating. Wilhite did not immediately return calls, texts and emails requesting the statement.
An FBI Memphis spokesperson said the FBI does not comment on the possibility or likelihood of investigations and he declined further comment.
Graceland faces foreclosure auction
Graceland, the historic home of Elvis Presley, was set to be sold off at a foreclosure auction last month in Tennessee, but his granddaughter fought to block the sale, claiming the property wasn’t for sale.
A temporary restraining order on the sale was granted after Lisa Marie Presley’s daughter, Riley Keough, filed a 60-page lawsuit against Naussany Investments and Private Lending on May 15.
The Missouri company claimed it was using the property as collateral, claiming Lisa Marie Presley signed a deed of trust in 2018, securing a $3.8 million loan. The company alleges she never paid the money back before she passed away last January.
Keough claimed in the lawsuit that her mother never borrowed any money from the company, according to her family’s attorney.
“These documents are fraudulent,” the suit states.
Keough claimed Lisa Marie Presley’s signatures on the deed are forgeries, and that Naussany Investments is not a real entity. According to the suit, the notary involved in the deed denies that she notarized Lisa Marie Presley’s signature or ever met her.
Auction postponed pending investigation
A Tennessee judge agreed to delay an auction of Graceland as Presley’s estate fights to prove the foreclosure proceedings were fraudulent.
“The court will adjourn the sale as requested because the real estate is considered unique under Tennessee law and, being unique, the loss of the real estate would cause (significant) harm,” Chancellor Joe Dae Jenkins said.
Shortly after the auction was postponed, Skrmetti announced his office would investigate the attempted foreclosure of Graceland.
NewsNation affiliate WREG made several attempts to contact the company. A man named Kurt Naussany responded in an email, telling WREG that the company withdrew its claim “due to the Deed of Trust not being recorded and the loan being obtained in a different state.”
He also claimed that he has not been affiliated with the company since 2015.
Skrmetti released a statement on the investigation.
Graceland is one of the most iconic landmarks in the State of Tennessee, and the Presley family have generously shared it with the world since Elvis’s passing. Elvis made Memphis the center of the music universe, and Graceland stands as a monument to his legacy and a fond remembrance for his family. My office has fought fraud against homeowners for decades, and there is no home in Tennessee more beloved than Graceland. I have asked my lawyers to look into this matter, determine the full extent of any misconduct that may have occurred, and identify what we can do to protect both Elvis Presley’s heirs and anyone else who may be similarly threatened
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti
Identity theft claims
The New York Times published an interview late last month with a self-described “identity thief” who claims he’s the one responsible for the chaos, deepening the mystery behind the failed auction sale.
In the interview, the “identity thief” says his “ring” is based in Nigeria and that Elvis Presley’s granddaughter Riley Keough “beat him at this own game.”
The FBI office in Memphis declined to comment, but some news outlets reported that the Bureau was still looking for answers.
History behind Graceland
Elvis Presley bought the Graceland mansion in the Whitehaven area of Memphis in 1957. Lisa Marie inherited Graceland after her father’s death in 1977, and it opened to the public as a museum in 1982.
Lisa Marie Presley died in January 2023. Her daughter became heir to the estate and trustee of the Promenade Trust.
About 600,000 visitors tour Graceland each year. The house was named in a survey last year as the most popular museum in the U.S.
NewsNation affiliate WREG and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
