Just over a year after splitting Kentucky’s largest-ever Powerball jackpot, James Shannon Farthing has been arrested for the fourth time, this time on domestic violence charges alleging he strangled a woman during an argument at his Scott County home.
Farthing, 51, of Georgetown, and his mother, Linda Grizzle, claimed the $167.3 million prize from the April 26, 2025, drawing after purchasing a $2 ticket at Clark’s Pump N Shop. It was the biggest Powerball jackpot ever won in Kentucky. The pair presented the winning ticket at lottery headquarters in Louisville on April 28 and opted for the cash payout of approximately $77.3 million, which they planned to split.
The celebration was short-lived.
Arrest Days After Claiming the Prize
On April 29, 2025 — one day after claiming the jackpot — Farthing was arrested at the Island Grand at TradeWinds Resort on St. Pete Beach in Pinellas County, Florida. According to deputies and body-camera footage later released by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, Farthing was involved in a fight with another hotel guest when Deputy Nicholas Areostatico intervened. Farthing allegedly kicked the deputy in the face, then tried to flee. Officers used a Taser and tackled him.
His then-girlfriend, Jacqueline Fightmaster, was also arrested and charged with disorderly intoxication. Farthing faced felony battery on a law enforcement officer along with misdemeanor battery and resisting charges. He was also held on a Kentucky parole-violation warrant stemming from an extensive prior criminal record that included theft, drug trafficking, escape, and other offenses. Court records show he had spent roughly 30 of his first 50 years incarcerated.
In February 2026, Farthing pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor battery and resisting counts. He received credit for time served and was ordered to pay about $1,000 in fines.
A Pattern of Legal Trouble
The arrests continued.
In November 2025, Farthing was involved in a high-speed hit-and-run in Lexington. Police said he was driving a Corvette between 103 and 117 mph before rear-ending another vehicle near Man o’ War Boulevard and Crosby Drive, then abandoning the car and fleeing on foot. A Fayette County grand jury later indicted him on felony wanton endangerment and misdemeanor leaving-the-scene charges.
In February 2026, Scott County authorities charged him with intimidating a participant in the legal process after a woman reported fearing for her life at a residence linked to Farthing. Deputies noted a firearm and ammunition in plain view. Some reports indicate the charge was later amended.
The following month, Farthing was arrested in Lexington on second-degree burglary and marijuana-possession charges. A woman told police he entered her home on Kenesaw Drive — an incident captured on surveillance — and that roughly $12,000 in cash was missing. He was allegedly seen leaving in a black Porsche and was detained near Red Mile Gaming, where officers found marijuana. The burglary charge was dismissed after the woman later testified she had found the missing money elsewhere.
Latest Arrest: Strangulation Charges
On July 27, 2026, Scott County deputies arrested Farthing again. According to the criminal complaint, a woman said the two had returned from a fishing trip when an argument turned physical at his home on Cynthiana Road. She alleged Farthing wrapped his hands around her neck and lifted her against a wall. Deputies reported visible welts on the right side of her neck; the incident was reportedly captured on a Ring camera.
Farthing was charged with first-degree strangulation and fourth-degree assault. He pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors sought a substantial cash bond, while his attorney argued against treating him differently because of his lottery win. The case was later waived to a grand jury.
As of mid-September 2026, several of Farthing’s cases remain pending. The string of arrests — beginning less than 48 hours after he claimed a life-changing fortune — has drawn national attention and underscored a pattern of legal trouble that predated the jackpot and continued long after it.
