What people will do for the King of Rock and Roll: dress up in unflattering, rhinestone jumpsuits, wait in a four-hour line to visit his grave in the middle of the night, and for at least one woman in the United Kingdom, steal roughly $20,000 a month in parking fees.
According to The Times of London online, 46-year-old Julie Wall is thought to have stolen more than $1 million between January 1996 and July 2005 in her job as cashier for the North Kesteven District Council’s eight car parks.
She used the stolen funds to finance her Elvis addiction, buying thousands of records, CDs, DVDs, magazines, Christmas cards and fridge magnets. There are 668 Elvis lots, among them souvenirs such as fridge magnets, mugs and records issued from countries including Israel, Mexico, Malay-sia, Peru and Uruguay.
According to the CPS, which has had the collection valued by a leading Elvis expert, lots that will attract serious collectors include a 1964 Elvis credit card receipt from his Texaco Gas account, an autographed copy of the album A date with Elvis and a limited edition of the first Elvis Presley CD to be released. A rare Japanese EP, an extended version of the standard single vinyl record, of Love Me Tender could fetch £10,000 or more.
Wall was sentenced to three years in jail in 2005, but now her collection of Elvis Presley memorabilia is up for auction, as well, and the profits will be paid back to the council.
Insert your own “Jailhouse Rock” joke here.
