James Farthing hit Kentucky’s biggest Powerball jackpot ever in April 2025. Now the 51-year-old is facing his third arrest since cashing the ticket.
Farthing and his mother, Linda Grizzle, split the $167.3 million prize. They took the lump-sum option. Reports at the time said each walked away with millions after taxes. Farthing told local reporters he still couldn’t believe it was real and wanted to help his mom pay off debts while living more responsibly.
Police in Lexington say Farthing broke into a home on Kenesaw Drive on March 28. The victim saw Farthing on her home surveillance system at a side door entrance. She heard a loud sound like a door being kicked in and then discovered that $12,000 in cash was missing from her bedroom.
Farthing allegedly took off in a black Porsche. He was apprehended in a parking lot near Red Mile Gaming by police. They saw a marijuana joint in plain sight and more during a search of the vehicle. Farthing was charged with second-degree burglary and marijuana possession. He made bond the next day for $10,000 and entered a not guilty plea.
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The trouble started fast. Days after claiming his share, Farthing was at Tradewinds Resort in St. Pete Beach, Florida. Witnesses said a fight erupted at the hotel bar when he bragged about the win and someone doubted him.
Bodycam video released by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office shows deputies breaking it up. Farthing kicked a deputy in the face while trying to reach the other man, then tried to run. Officers tackled him and used a Taser. He faced felony battery charges on a law enforcement officer but later pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery and resisting. He served time already spent in jail and paid a fine.
Farthing was arrested in February 2026 in Scott County on a charge of intimidation of a participant in a legal process. A woman had expressed fear for her life, and investigators alleged that Farthing sent her texts to influence her statements when she was giving information to police. There was also a mention of a firearm at the crime scene.
Farthing also has a pending case of a hit-and-run accident in Fayette County. According to court records, Farthing spent 30 of his first 50 years behind bars in more than two-dozen correctional centers on charges such as drugs, theft, and evidence tampering.
Big wins don’t always last. A 2018 study in Journal of Gambling Studies found that about 44 percent of major lottery winners see a sharp decline in their finances or personal lives within five years. Common issues include overspending, poor choices and the pressure that hits when money arrives overnight.
Farthing once said in an interview,
“I’ve caused a lot of stress on her mom, you know, I’ve made some bad decisions in life, and you know, God’s been good cause I’ve kept my faith and done right, and something’s happened good for me.”
He talked about travel and family help. Those plans now sit alongside fresh criminal charges.
Farthing’s story keeps playing out in real time. A record jackpot, quick arrests and a long rap sheet before the win all sit side by side. For now the man who beat the odds on a $2 ticket keeps running into the same legal walls he knew long before the money showed up.
