Nancy Jones, widow of country music legend George Jones, has been left reeling after a former romantic partner allegedly stole millions in cryptocurrency from her home in Franklin, Tennessee.
Kirk West, 58, stands accused of taking over $400,000 in cash along with a Ledger wallet containing more than 5.5 million XRP tokens, valued at around $17.4 million at the time.
Jones became wary of West’s loyalty and asked her granddaughter to secure her valuables.
It was then that the granddaughter discovered the cash and the crypto wallet were missing.
West was the only other person besides Jones with access to the private key for the wallet.
Court documents reveal that West, who had been involved with Jones since 2013, used his supposed expertise in cryptocurrencies to gain her trust and encourage investments in XRP, Ethereum, and Dogecoin.
Following the discovery, West was arrested on 24 July 2025 at Nashville International Airport, shortly after police began investigating the theft.
His bond has been set at $1 million, and he faces felony charges for theft exceeding $250,000.
Jones was able to recover approximately 5 million XRP tokens, but roughly 483,000 tokens—worth around $1.5 million—remain unaccounted for.
According to Jones, West offered to return only part of the stolen funds, stating,
“He said he would wire me $5 million and that was all I was going to get.”
West’s history adds another layer to the case.
Previously convicted of bank fraud in 2016, he has a record of financial deception.
Court papers suggest he manipulated Jones by presenting himself as a crypto expert, exploiting their relationship that began shortly after George Jones’ death in 2013.
Jones reportedly asked West to leave her home on 28 June 2025, just days after the theft.
Soon after, he contacted her with the offer to return only a fraction of the stolen XRP.
This incident highlights the risks that come with personal cryptocurrency storage and the dangers of entrusting access to others, even those close to you.
Despite efforts to recover the stolen assets, tracing cryptocurrencies once moved remains difficult.
The theft comes at a busy time for Ripple Labs, the company behind XRP, which recently published a report on stablecoins and their growing role in global payments, particularly in regions facing currency volatility.
West’s court date is set for 23 October 2025, as legal proceedings continue in the hope of recovering the missing tokens and securing justice for Nancy Jones.
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