MEMPHIS, Tennessee – The Tennessee attorney general’s office said Tuesday it has turned over its investigation into the failed sale of Elvis Presley Graceland house in a foreclosure auction to federal authorities, a newspaper reported.
The Commercial Appeal reported that Amy Lannom Wilhite, spokeswoman for Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, said in a statement that the investigation into the attempted foreclosure of the prominent tourist attraction “was a matter better suited for law enforcement federal”.
“We have faith in our federal partners and know they will handle this appropriately,” the statement said.
It was not immediately clear Tuesday which federal authorities were investigating. Wilhite did not immediately return calls, texts and emails seeking a statement.
An FBI spokesman in Memphis said the FBI does not comment on the possibility or likelihood of investigations and declined further comment.
Skrmetti said on May 23 that he was investigating the attempted foreclosure of Graceland, the former Presley home turned museum in Memphis where the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll lived before dying in 1977 at age 42.
The announcement came later the proposed auction was stopped by an injunction issued by Shelby County Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins after Riley KeoughPresley’s granddaughter, filed a lawsuit alleging fraud.
A public notice for the foreclosure sale of the 13-acre (5-hectare) property published in May said the Promenade Trust, which controls the Graceland museum, owes $3.8 million after failing to repay a 2018 loan. an actor, inherited the trust and house property after his mother’s death, Lisa Maria Presleylast year.
Naussany Investments and Private Lending said Lisa Marie Presley used Graceland as collateral for the loan, according to the foreclosure sale notice. Keough’s lawsuit alleged that Naussany submitted fraudulent documents regarding the loan in September 2023 and that Lisa Maria Presley never borrowed any money from Naussany.
The court documents included addresses of businesses in Jacksonville, Florida, and Hollister, Missouri. Both were to post offices, and one reference in Kimberling City, Missouri, was to a PO box. The company is also not listed in state databases of businesses registered in Missouri or Florida.
Kimberly Philbrick, the notary whose name is listed on Naussany’s documents, indicated that she never met Lisa Marie Presley nor notarized any documents for her, according to the estate’s filing. Jenkins, the judge, said the notary’s statement calls into question “the authenticity of the signature.”
A search of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s online records showed no company records. No representative for Naussany appeared in court, although the company unsuccessfully filed a motion denying the lawsuit’s allegations and opposing the estate’s request for a preliminary injunction.
A statement emailed to The Associated Press after the judge halted the sale said Naussany would not proceed because a key document in the case and the loan were recorded and obtained in a different state, meaning “legal action would have to be moved across multiple states. ” The statement, sent from an email address listed in court documents, did not specify the other state.
A May 25 email sent to the AP from the same address said in Spanish that the attempted mortgage sale was made by a Nigerian fraud ring that targets elderly and dead people in the U.S. and uses the Internet to steal money.
Keough’s lawsuit remains active. No future hearing has been scheduled.
Graceland opened as a museum and tourist attraction in 1982 and attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. A large Presley-themed entertainment complex across the street from the museum is owned by Elvis Presley Enterprises.
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