Kentucky Man’s Lottery Luck Doesn’t Keep Him Out of Trouble

LEXINGTON, KY - On Friday, March 27, a Kentucky man who won a record-shattering $167 million Powerball Lottery jackpot barely 12 months ago was arrested for the third time since hitting big, according to the Fayette County Detention Center.

James Farthing, a 51-year-old from Georgetown, was arrested and charged with second-degree burglary and marijuana possession, the Independent reported.

In April 2025, Farthing purchased his winning ticket, making history by garnering the largest lottery prize ever awarded in the Bluegrass State. He, of course, shared his millions with his mother. Shortly after winning, he told a local news outlet, "I've caused a lot of stress on her [my mom], you know, I've made some bad decisions in my life, and you know, God's been good because I've kept my faith and done right, and something's happened good for me."

Yet, just four days after his win, while toasting his life-altering success on a Florida beach, he was arrested during a late-night altercation and accused of misdemeanor battery on a law enforcement officer.

Body camera footage obtained by LEX18, shows Farthing kicking an officer in the face, trying to flee, and getting tased. He pleaded guilty earlier this month and was sentenced to time served after a nine-day jail stint.

In February, Farthing was arrested again on charges of intimidation in Georgetown after a woman called police "in fear for her life." Late in the evening on February 11, Scott County sheriff's deputies were sent to a property in town after a woman dialed 911, claiming armed people were in her house.

Upon searching the house, police found a .380 caliber weapon in a dryer. The woman told investigators that Farthing had picked her up from her Lexington home for a prearranged meeting. He then allegedly attempted to pressure her into eating a "gummy."

Farthing allegedly told police that the woman "had been perfectly fine prior to her disappearance from the group," and that he had been searching for her when officers arrived on scene. Legal proceedings in the case remain ongoing, and he is scheduled for an April court appearance.