Tenn. investigators turn Graceland fraud case over to the feds

After a dizzying fraudulent attempt to take control of the one-time home of Elvis Presley, the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office is handing the Graceland case over to federal investigators.

In May, a mysterious company known as Naussany Investments came close to selling the Memphis home at auction after allegedly defrauding the family and falsely claiming that Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis, took a loan against the property that she failed to pay. 

Lisa Marie’s daughter, Riley Keough, refuted Naussany’s claim and stated in court that the company seemed to be non-existent, with no phone number or address on record. Keough, the trustee of the Presley estate, successfully fought off the bizarre attempt to steal the property from under her.

A Shelby County judge curbed the elaborate scheme last month, placing an injunction on the property sale as Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti launched an investigation into the fraud behind it. But his office changed its tune on Wednesday, handing over the investigation to the federal government after Naussany Investments laid off its claim to the property.

“The Tennessee Attorney General’s Office looked into the Graceland matter, and it quickly became apparent that this was a matter best suited for federal law enforcement. We have faith in our federal partners and know they will handle this appropriately,” a statement from spokesperson Amy Lannom Wilhite to CNN read.

It is unclear which agency is taking the buck, with the Department of Justice and FBI declining to comment to several news agencies.