Tennessee investigators refer Graceland fraud case to federal government

After a fraudulent and dizzying attempt to take control of Elvis Presley’s former home, the Tennessee Attorney General’s office turns the Graceland case over to federal investigators.

In May, a mysterious company known as Naussany Investments nearly auctioned off the Memphis home after allegedly defrauding the family and falsely claiming that Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis’ daughter, had taken out a loan on the property that she had failed to pay.

Lisa Marie’s daughter, Riley Keough, refuted Naussany’s claim, saying in court that the business appeared nonexistent, with no phone number or registered address. Keough, the administrator of the Presley estate, successfully repelled the bizarre attempt to steal the property from under his command.

A Shelby County judge put the brakes on the complex project last month, placing an injunction on the sale of the property as Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti opened an investigation into the fraud behind it. But his office changed its mind Wednesday, handing the investigation over to the federal government after Naussany Investments relinquished its rights to the property.

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

It is unclear which agency is responsible for the case, with the Justice Department and FBI declining to comment to several news organizations.