In Louisville, Kentucky, a local Powerball winner found himself facing legal troubles in Florida shortly after his major lottery win. James S. Farthing, often called Shannon, discovered he had won an impressive $167 million Powerball jackpot over the weekend. This winning marked the largest jackpot in Kentucky’s history, as confirmed by the Kentucky Lottery. Farthing had plans to share the substantial winnings with his mother, according to a statement from the lottery.
Despite this life-changing fortune, Farthing’s luck seemed short-lived when he landed in jail in Florida by the middle of the week. Local media outlets reported that the 50-year-old was charged with battery of a police officer and resisting arrest. The incident occurred when a Pinellas County Sheriff’s deputy tried to intervene in an altercation involving Farthing and another individual at a hotel. According to the police report filed on Tuesday, Farthing allegedly kicked the officer in the face as the officer attempted to de-escalate the situation. When instructed to comply and put his hands behind his back, Farthing reportedly tried to escape, which led to his arrest.
Farthing was taken into custody early Wednesday morning and, as of Friday, remained jailed according to the latest information from the county’s online booking records.
Prior to his arrest, Farthing, along with his mother, Linda Grizzle, visited the lottery headquarters in Louisville on Monday to claim their prize. In celebrating their newfound fortune, Grizzle expressed that they were looking forward to a memorable Mother’s Day without financial worries. “This is going to pay off my debt,” she shared with lottery officials. Grizzle recounted how she had informed her son on Sunday about their winning ticket, leading them to revisit the gas station where the successful ticket was purchased to verify their win.
In a separate interview that Sunday, Farthing reflected on how the winnings would positively impact his mother’s life. He mentioned the stress and poor decisions he had previously caused her but felt gratitude and faith had brought about this change of fortune.
The winning Powerball numbers were recorded as 1-12-14-18-69, with the Powerball number being 2. The lottery offered Farthing and his mother a choice between a cash option of $77.3 million or 30 annual payments. The monumental jackpot surpassed the previous record Kentucky Powerball win of $128 million in 2009.
However, online court records in Kentucky reveal that Farthing has faced legal challenges in the past, with multiple arrests in recent years for various offenses including assault and domestic violence. Any comment from Farthing’s attorney was not immediately available, as requests for a statement remained unanswered as of Friday.