A Nashville-area man has been charged with stealing millions of dollars in cash and cryptocurrency from his ex-girlfriend Nancy Jones, who is the widow of George Jones.
A representative for Nancy confirmed that she’s the victim in the alleged crime, according to WKRN.
The outlet reports that she filed a theft report on Wednesday (July 23), and that her ex-boyfriend, 58-year-old Kirk West, was arrested at the Nashville International Airport the following day.
Court documents state that Nancy grew suspicious that West — who is described as her “long-term romantic partner” — was cheating on her, and on June 26, she called her granddaughter to ask her to check a safe and ensure that her jewelry and cash was secure.
According to the court document, only Nancy and West had the private code to access the safe.
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The granddaughter discovered that $400,000 in cash was missing. Also missing was a Ledger wallet containing approximately 5,534,307 units of the digital currency XRP.
On the date of the discovery, that cryptocurrency was worth $11,622,044.70. Crypto’s value fluctuates quite a bit, and as of Friday (July 25), that amount’s worth had climbed to $17,045665.56, per WKRN.
Court documents state that Nancy kicked West out of the home they shared on June 28, two days after discovering that the money was missing. Later, he allegedly called her to say that he would said $5 million of the crypto money back to her, but no more.
On Friday (July 25), the Frankllin Police Department revealed that West had been arrested in connection with the alleged crime.
He has been charged with theft of over $250,000, a Class A felony in Tennessee, and his bond was set at $1 million. He is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 23.
WKRN reports that, with help from a legal team, Nancy recovered about 5,051,102 units of crypto, but a portion of the stolen currency that — as of Friday — was valued at almost $1.5 million is still missing.
Nancy Jones’ Relationship With Kirk West Dates Back Years
According to an affidavit in conjunction with a restraining order filed against West, Nancy met her now-ex-boyfriend back in August 2013.
About four months after her country star legend husband’s death, Nancy put a home up for sale. She says West and a group of investors toured the home, saying they were interested in buying it.
The documents state that West began texting Nancy afterwards to offer her companionship and support in the wake of Jones’ death, and they struck up a friendship. Through these exchanges, Nancy allegedly learned that West was “penniless,” didn’t have his own home, and had never been able to afford purchasing her house.
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That September, Nancy invited West to live in his own wing of her house, and they began dating the following month. In court documents, she says she bankrolled their life together, and purchased “a new Mercedes-Benz for [West] to drive.”
In court documents, Nancy now says she believes that West’s behavior in meeting and getting to know her, and suggested that he has a history of attempting to meet “wealthy, potentially vulnerable women.”
A History of Legal Troubles
West was charged with bank fraud in 2016, and Nancy claims she paid his legal fees and hired his representation.
He was accused of misrepresenting himself as a “real estate investor,” inflating his income and net worth and forging documents in order to secure loans from Reliant Bank.
He ultimately pled guilty to two counts of bank fraud, and was sentenced to one year of house arrest.
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His sentence also included a $935,045.04 restitution payment, which, the documents claim, Nancy paid. West allegedly told her that he would pay her back over a period of years, but never did.
West reportedly got interested in cryptocurrency while on house arrest, and persuaded Nancy to begin investing in multiple different forms of cryptocurrency.
Nancy Jones’ Love Story With George Jones
Nancy and Jones’ love story started in 1981 when she attended one of his concerts, and was blown away by his voice. They soon became a couple, and married in March 1983.
Jones has said on many occasions that Nancy “save[d] my life.” At the time, he was living up to his “No Show Jones” nickname: His career was floundering as he battled longstanding drug and alcohol addiction.
Read More: George Jones’ Wife Says God Sent Her to Save Him
Nancy stepped in, fired much of his team and took over what was at the time a failing career. She convinced him to contact all the booking agents he’d skipped out on with previous absences and make up those shows.
She also stood by his side through a volatile, sometimes violent marriage. Jones wouldn’t get sober for good until 1999, almost 20 years later, when a near-fatal car accident finally scared him straight.
Nancy spearheaded the opening of the George Jones Museum in downtown Nashville, which opened 2015 and was sold to a Nashville-based investment group in 2021. According to WKRN, West reportedly helped with the opening of the museum.
She has also continued to fly the flag for Jones’ legacy after his death. Most recently, Nancy was on hand to help unveil a new George Jones statue outside Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.
George Jones Statue Unveiled at The Ryman Auditorium
George Jones was a staple in country music and is being honored for his decades of work with a beautifully crafted, bronze statue of him outside the Ryman. His widow, Nancy, was on-hand to accept the honor and say a few words about her late husband.
Gallery Credit: Evan Paul
PICTURES: See Inside George Jones’ Stately Southern Manor Home
George Jones’ custom-built Southern manor home is currently for sale, and pictures show a breathtaking balance of Southern charm and down-home comfort.
Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker
