Elvis Presley: Woman charged over scheme to steal Graceland

A woman has been arrested over a "brazen scheme" to steal the Graceland mansion that once belonged to Elvis Presley.

A 53-year-old woman form Missouri faces federal mail fraud and identity theft charges after she allegedly tried to extort the Presley family over the property, the US Justice Department said on Friday.

"The defendant orchestrated a scheme to conduct a fraudulent sale of Graceland, falsely claiming that Elvis Presley's daughter had pledged the historic landmark as collateral for a loan that she failed to repay before her death," Nicole Argentieri, head of the Justice Department's Criminal Division, said in a statement.

"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."

How did the fraudulent scheme work?

According to court documents, Findley claimed that the rock 'n' roll legend's daughter Lisa Marie Presley borrowed $3.8 million (€3.4 million) from a bogus private lender and had pledged Graceland as collateral before she died last year.

"Findley allegedly fabricated loan documents on which Findley forged the signatures of Elvis Presley's daughter and a Florida State notary public," the Justice Department said.

The woman allegedly threatened to sell Graceland to the highest bidder if Presley's family didn't pay a $2.85 million (€2.58 million) settlement. A foreclosure sale had been scheduled for May but a Tennessee judge ultimately blocked the auction after the singer's granddaughter who currently owns the mansion, actor Riley Keough, filed a lawsuit claiming the documents were forged.

"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," said Eric Shen, inspector in charge of the US Postal Inspection Service Criminal Investigations Group.

When the plan fell apart, Findley allegedly tried to blame the ordeal on Nigerian identity thieves.

Elvis lived in Graceland until hjis death in 1977. The property was made into a tourist attraction in 1982 and now draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. The property remains in the Presley family.

zc/sri (AP, AFP)