BTCC / BTCC Square / Cryptonews /
$17M XRP Heist: George Jones’ Widow Targeted in Crypto Scam Shocker

$17M XRP Heist: George Jones’ Widow Targeted in Crypto Scam Shocker

Author:
Cryptonews
Published:
2025-07-30 03:35:54
7
3

George Jones’ Widow Allegedly Scammed Out of $17 Million Worth of XRP

Crypto's dark underbelly strikes again—this time, preying on legacy.

The Setup: Scammers siphoned $17 million worth of XRP from the late country legend's widow. No slow dances here—just a brutal digital grab.

Why It Burns: Even in decentralized finance, old-school cons thrive. The irony? A fortune built on Nashville royalties vanished via blockchain's 'trustless' rails.

Wall Street Cynic's Take: At least traditional banks send flowers before robbing you.

George Jones Widow Files Theft Report Over Stolen Crypto

The July 25 report states that Jones’ 58-year-old ex-boyfriend, Kirk West, was taken into custody at Nashville International Airport on Thursday, July 24.

Police arrested a Tennessee man at Nashville airport after he allegedly stole millions in cryptocurrency from George Jones' widow, his ex-girlfriend. https://t.co/L81ZHhCvPt

— NewsChannel 5 (@NC5) July 25, 2025

WKRN-reviewed documents allege that Jones filed a theft report on Wednesday, July 23, claiming West stole $400,000 in cash and approximately 5,534,307 XRP coins after breaking into a SAFE in her home.

Jones had kicked West out of their Tennessee residence on June 28 and called her granddaughter to help secure her valuables after she allegedly discovered he had cheated on her.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the stolen XRP was valued at over $17 million. However, Jones and her attorneys were able to recover most of the missing cryptocurrency—except for nearly 400,000 tokens, worth approximately $1.2 million.

West faces a Class A felony charge for theft of more than $250,000, and his bail has been set at $1 million.

Kirk West’s Fraudulent History Revealed

West previously pleaded guilty to bank fraud in 2026, a case in which his legal fees were paid by Jones.

The two met shortly after George Jones’ death in 2013, when West toured a home Nancy Jones was selling.

Reports say she later learned West was penniless and homeless before allowing him to MOVE in with her in September 2013.

They began a romantic relationship the following month.

West is scheduled to appear in court on October 23 in connection with the alleged theft of Jones’ cash and cryptocurrency.

|Square

Get the BTCC app to start your crypto journey

Get started today Scan to join our 100M+ users