$17M XRP Heist: Widow of Country Music Icon Victim in Alleged Crypto Theft

A man was arrested recently in Tennessee for allegedly stealing millions of $XRP tokens from Nancy Jones, the widow of country music star George Jones.

Widow of George Jones Alleges $XRP Theft by Romantic Partner

Police in Tennessee recently arrested a man accused of stealing millions of $XRP tokens from the widow of country music icon George Jones. According to authorities, Kirk West, 58, who had been romantically involved with Nancy Jones, was apprehended at Nashville International Airport on July 24, just hours after the Franklin Police Department launched its investigation into the theft allegation.

According to a WKRN.com report, Nancy Jones filed a theft report on July 23, detailing the alleged theft that occurred around June 26. She reported that West, her “long-time romantic partner,” stole approximately $400,000 in cash and a Ledger cryptocurrency wallet from two safes inside her Franklin home. Citing a court document, the report revealed that Nancy Jones, who had grown suspicious of West’s fidelity, asked her granddaughter to secure her valuables on June 26. It was then that the granddaughter discovered the cash and the Ledger wallet were missing.

As per the report, the stolen Ledger wallet contained approximately 5,534,307 units of $XRP, valued at just over $17.4 million. Franklin authorities contend that West was the sole individual, besides Nancy Jones, who possessed the private key to access the wallet. Although the widow was able to recover a significant portion of the stolen crypto, approximately 5,051,102 $XRP, she ultimately lost 483,205 $XRP.

The court documents also paint a disturbing picture of West’s alleged predatory behavior. Nancy Jones recounted kicking West out of her home on June 28. Following his departure, West allegedly called her, offering to return only $5 million of the crypto funds to her bank account, stating it was “all she would get.”

West has been charged with theft over $250,000. His bond was set at $1 million, and he is scheduled for a court date on Oct. 23.