A 58-year-old man from Franklin now faces charges for stealing more than $10 million from Nancy Jones, the widow of country music legend George Jones. Police arrested Kirk West on July 24 at Nashville International Airport. This arrest happened one day after Nancy Jones filed a theft report.
Court documents state that West allegedly took $400,000 in cash. He also took over 5.5 million units of the cryptocurrency XRP from two safes inside Jones’ home. At the time of the theft, these digital assets were worth about $11.6 million. Their value later grew to over $17 million.
Jones and West had been in a relationship since 2013, the same year George Jones died. West first met her as a possible property buyer. They soon began dating. He eventually moved into her home. He relied on her for financial support, including a car and legal fees.
Court records show West has a criminal past. In 2016, he was found guilty of bank fraud. He was ordered to repay nearly $800,000. Jones reportedly helped cover this debt. West is also accused of convincing Jones to invest in cryptocurrency. He claimed he was an expert. He allegedly used this trust to gain access to her digital wallets.
On June 26, Jones discovered the theft with her granddaughter’s help. West had already taken the money and left. He later told Jones she would only get $5 million back. So far, about 5 million XRP units have been recovered. Around 500,000 units, worth about $1.5 million, are still missing.
West is being held on a $1 million bond. He faces a charge of theft over $250,000. He is scheduled to appear in court on October 23. Jones has not made a public statement, but her attorney confirmed she is the victim.
