Alleged Conspirator in Graceland Scam Admits Role in Elvis' Home Foreclosure Attempt
Unraveling the intricate plot surrounding the suspicious foreclosure scare targeting Elvis Presley's revered Graceland estate, an individual purportedly linked to the scheme confessed via a communication to CNN, acknowledging involvement in the deceptive ploy.
In a new development in the strange saga of the questionable threat of foreclosure on Elvis Presley's famous Memphis residence, a person claiming to be part of a plan to steal Graceland responded to an email from CNN, admitting to the scam.
The self-proclaimed scammer, who communicated in a combination of English and Luganda, a language spoken by over 5 million individuals mainly in Uganda according to the United Nations, confessed to having stolen identities and received money, although not always successfully.
It is uncertain if the person who emailed CNN is truly involved in the scam. They did reply to a CNN inquiry sent to an email linked to Naussany Investments and Private Lending. This company recently attempted to foreclose on the iconic Graceland mansion.
Graceland was almost put up for auction because Lisa Marie Presley, the late singer's daughter who passed away in 2023, allegedly failed to repay a $3.8 million loan from Naussany Investments. Court documents reveal that she had used Graceland as collateral for the loan.
However, actress Riley Keough, who is Elvis’ granddaughter and heir, took legal action to prevent the estate from being auctioned off. She claimed that there was fraud involved and argued that Naussany, the entity trying to foreclose on the property, was not legitimate and had no rights to the estate.
As a result of Riley Keough's lawsuit, the foreclosure sale was successfully stopped. Naussany Investments decided to abandon their efforts to foreclose on the property.
CNN contacted the email address provided in Keough's lawsuit for a comment from the company representative. The person claimed that their company did not have any claims against anyone linked to Graceland. They then referred CNN to another email address, gregoryenaussanyniplflorida@hotmail.com, which supposedly belonged to Gregory Naussany. Naussany responded when contacted by CNN.
The New York Times and other news outlets also received messages from the same email address, as reported by the Times first on Tuesday.
CNN had a Luganda-speaking native translate and review the email. The translator noted that while the scammer seemed to know the language, their writing style indicated they were not completely fluent, raising questions about whether they were a native speaker or using a translation tool like Google Translate.
CNN could not find any proof of the company's existence. The phone number provided in court documents was not working. The business was said to be based in Kimberling City, Missouri, but CNN found no record of it when they reached out to the secretary of state.
The Shelby County Registrar informed CNN via email that there are no records of filings from Naussany Investments & Private Lending, LLC related to Graceland/Elvis Presley.
According to the self-identified scammer, who spoke to the New York Times, they operate out of Nigeria and target vulnerable groups such as the deceased and elderly. Their main focus is on victims in Florida and California, where they use personal documents like birth certificates to carry out their fraudulent activities.
The scammer admitted in an email to CNN that they use innocent people and steal identities.
It is still a mystery what motivates a scammer to target the second most visited residence in the US, right after the White House.
The scammer explained to the Times that their expertise lies in stealing. That's their area of expertise.
According to Mark Sunderman, a real estate professor at the University of Memphis, targeting Graceland was a mistake.
"He said going after such a high-profile property was just very stupid. In terms of Memphis, I can’t think of anything more high profile other than if they tried to go after the Civil Rights Museum."
Court documents reveal that Naussany Investments offered to settle its claimed debt with the Presley estate for $2.85 million, a reduction of $950,000 from the original loan. Sunderman believes that the scammer's goal may have been a quick payoff, not a successful foreclosure on Graceland.
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said last Thursday that he was investigating possible fraud related to the situation. He also mentioned that if they had gone through with the foreclosure sale, they would have faced a higher risk of getting caught and would have received less payoff in the end.
The Shelby County District Attorney did not respond to CNN’s request for comment on any possible criminal case.
Editor's P/S:
The audacious attempt to seize Graceland, Elvis Presley's iconic residence, through a fraudulent foreclosure scheme has captivated the public. The involvement of a self-proclaimed scammer, who brazenly admitted to their involvement, adds a sinister twist to this bizarre saga. Their chilling confession reveals a sophisticated network of identity theft and financial exploitation targeting vulnerable individuals.
