MEMPHIS.- The office of fiscal Tennessee general said he turned over his investigation into the botched sale of the casa of Elvis Presley, Graceland, in a foreclosure auction to federal authorities, a newspaper reported.
Amy Lannom Wilhite, spokeswoman for Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, said in a statement that the investigation into the attempted foreclosure sale of the prominent tourist attraction was a matter better 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 clear which federal authorities would investigate. Wilhite did not respond to calls, text messages and emails requesting the statement.
An FBI spokesman in Memphis said the agency does not comment on the possibility or likelihood of investigations and declined to comment further.
Mortgage sale of Elvis Presley’s house
Skrmetti explained on May 23 that he was investigating the attempted foreclosure sale of Graceland, Presley’s former home turned museum in Memphis, where the King of Rock n Roll lived before dying in 1977 at age 42.
The announcement came after the proposed auction was halted by a court order issued by Shelby County Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins after Riley Keough, Presley’s granddaughter, filed a lawsuit alleging fraud.
A public notice for a foreclosure sale of the five-hectare (13-acre) property – published in May – that the Promenade Trust, which controls the Graceland museum, owes $3.8 million for defaulting on a 2018 loan. Keough, an actress, inherited the trust and ownership of the house after the death of her mother, Lisa Marie Presley, last year.
Naussany Investments and Private Lending said Lisa Marie Presley had used Graceland as collateral for the loan, according to the foreclosure sale notice. Keough’s lawsuit alleges Naussany submitted fraudulent documents regarding the loan in September 2023 and that Lisa Maria Presley never borrowed money from Naussany.
Court documents included business addresses in Jacksonville, Florida, and Hollister, Missouri. Both were post office addresses, and a Kimberling City, Missouri, reference was for a post office box. The company is also not listed in state databases of corporations registered in Missouri or Florida.
Demand
Kimberly Philbrick, the notary whose name appears on Naussany’s documents, said she never met Lisa Marie Presley or certified any documents for her, according to the estate’s lawsuit. Jenkins, the judge, said the notary’s affidavit calls into question the authenticity of the signature.
A search of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s online records showed no record for the firm. No representative for Naussany appeared in court, although the company filed an unsuccessful motion denying the lawsuit’s allegations and opposing the probate’s request for an injunction.
Graceland opened as a museum and tourist attraction in 1982 and attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. A large Presley-themed entertainment complex across the street from the museum is owned by Elvis Presley Enterprises.
FUENTE: AP
