The Alleged Theft
Kirk West, a Nashville resident, was arrested last year for what authorities say was the theft of $400,000 in cash and more than 5.5 million XRP tokens from Nancy Jones. That cryptocurrency haul was worth over $11.6 million at recent prices. Nancy Jones is the widow of country music legend George Jones, who passed away in 2013.
The pair apparently met in the months after George Jones’ death. West expressed interest in buying the Jones family home, according to court documents first reported by Nashville’s WKRN. What started as a business inquiry turned into a romantic relationship.
By 2016, while under house arrest for two counts of criminal bank fraud, West had positioned himself as a cryptocurrency expert. He reportedly convinced Nancy Jones to build significant positions in XRP, Ethereum, Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, and Stellar.
The Missing Wallet
Things took a turn last year when Jones suspected West of having an affair and asked him to leave her home. It was then she discovered something crucial was missing from her safe: a Ledger hardware wallet containing the private keys to her cryptocurrency holdings.
With legal help, Jones managed to recover just over 5 million of the XRP tokens. But more than 483,000 XRP—worth over $1 million today—remains unaccounted for. An affidavit attached to a restraining order also alleges West stole Shiba Inu and Ethereum positions from Jones.
West had allegedly purchased additional tokens on Jones’ behalf through Crypto.com and Uphold, including Terra (which famously collapsed in 2022), Flare, Monero, and Songbird.
The Countersuit Claims
Now West is fighting back with a countersuit filed on Friday. He denies stealing anything and instead claims he’s entitled to a portion of the assets. According to Rolling Stone, West alleges he “made numerous wise investments over the course of the parties’ relationship which built substantial wealth for them.”
He’s seeking half of the cryptocurrency, cash, and precious metals from the time he left Jones’ home last year. Those assets reportedly include $5 million in gold and silver and another $1 million in cash, on top of the cryptocurrency holdings.
This countersuit represents the first update to the case since private subpoenas were filed back in October, according to Williamson County’s online court records system. West, who is 58 years old, is essentially arguing that the wealth accumulated during their relationship was a joint effort.
The Legal Standoff
It’s a messy situation, really. You have one side claiming theft of digital assets worth millions, and the other side claiming rightful ownership through investment contributions made during a romantic partnership. The truth probably lies somewhere in between, but courts will have to sort that out.
I reached out to Dana McLendon Law, the firm representing West, but haven’t heard back yet. These cases involving cryptocurrency and personal relationships are becoming more common, and they’re rarely straightforward.
What’s interesting here is the timing. West was already under house arrest for bank fraud when he started advising on cryptocurrency investments. That detail might matter in court, I think. And the fact that so much value was stored on a single hardware wallet—well, that’s a security lesson for everyone in crypto.
The case continues, and it will be worth watching how Tennessee courts handle this blend of cryptocurrency law and relationship property disputes. These aren’t simple cases, especially when values fluctuate so dramatically in crypto markets.
