A man from Kentucky, who won a life-altering $167.3 million Powerball jackpot last year, has not been able to turn his life around.
James Farthing, aged 51, was arrested on Sunday, September 20—this being his fifth arrest and sixth criminal case since his lottery win in April 2025—after authorities found him intoxicated and asleep in a running Ford Mustang in a Walmart parking lot in Georgetown, Kentucky.
Sheriff’s deputies from Scott County were notified around 2:57 a.m. after a member of the public reported a white Mustang with temporary tags parked in the middle of an intersection. The vehicle then moved to the nearby Walmart parking lot, where Farthing was discovered asleep in the driver’s seat, as per an arrest citation.
Authorities stated that Farthing had a smell of alcohol and marijuana, bloodshot and watery eyes, slurred speech, and difficulty balancing.
Farthing claimed a woman had driven him to Walmart and left. However, surveillance footage showed the Mustang’s arrival with no one exiting before law enforcement arrived. He was charged with public intoxication.
Legal Issues Since Winning Jackpot
This recent arrest adds to a series of legal problems Farthing has encountered since winning the Powerball jackpot with his mother, Linda Grizzle, in Kentucky.
Shortly after winning, Farthing was detained at a Florida resort for an altercation where he allegedly assaulted another guest and a sheriff’s deputy. He later pleaded guilty to reduced misdemeanor charges.
In February, he was arrested in Kentucky on a charge related to intimidating a participant in a legal process after a woman expressed concerns for her safety.
The following month, he was arrested on burglary and marijuana possession charges after allegedly stealing money from a home in Lexington. Charges were dropped later after the homeowner discovered the missing funds.
His fourth arrest occurred in July for alleged domestic violence, with charges of first-degree strangulation and fourth-degree assault after a woman accused him of restricting her breathing. Farthing pleaded not guilty.
Additionally, he is facing indictment for a hit-and-run crash in November 2025 in Lexington, where he allegedly fled the scene after a high-speed collision.
Record Kentucky Lotto Win
Farthing purchased the winning Powerball ticket in Georgetown in April 2025. He chose to split the jackpot with his mother, who intended to use the money to pay off debts.
At the time of winning, he was on parole due to prior convictions in Kentucky, set to expire in August 2025.
His criminal history includes convictions for theft, drug smuggling, organized crime, domestic violence, tampering with evidence, and escaping from custody.
His most recent public intoxication case is pending in Scott County District Court.