(LEX 18) — 51-year-old James Farthing, the winner of the Kentucky's record breaking $167 million Powerball jackpot, has plead guilty to two misdemeanor charges in connection to the assault of a Florida police officer.
Farthing was first arrested just days after claiming the April 2025 Powerball win with his mother, Linda Grizzle; body-cam footage obtained by LEX 18 showed Farthing kicking a deputy in the face at a Pinellas County, Florida hotel bar.
Moments later, Farthing is seen in the footage running away from police and is subsequently tased; he was later bonded out of jail by his mother prior to extradition to Kentucky.
Crime
Bodycam footage shows KY Lottery winner arrested in Florida
According to court documents, Farthing plead guilty to misdemeanor charges of battery and obstructing or resisting an officer without violence on February 27. He received a sentence of time served after spending nine days in jail.
In addition to the plea, he was ordered to pay $151 to the Rape Crisis Trust Fund and $201 to the Domestic Violence Trust Fund, in addition to a $50] cost of prosecution assessment.
Farthing did not appear in the Pinellas County courtroom when the plea was entered.
In addition to charges in Florida, Farthing was arrested in February 2026 on charges of intimidation in Scott County. He also faces new charges in Fayette County after leaving the scene of an accident; an arrest citation details that in November 2025, Farthing reached over 100 miles per hour and rear ended a vehicle near a Lexington intersection.
Police detail that Farthing abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot. He is scheduled for an arraignment for those charges on April 1.
Crime
