James Farthing was arrested after allegedly getting into a fight at a Florida hotel and kicking a deputy who attempted to break it up
James Farthing
- James Farthing and his mom won the $167.3 million Powerball jackpot, the largest lottery prize in Kentucky history, on April 26
- Four days later, Farthing allegedly got into a fight at a Florida hotel and kicked a deputy who attempted to break it up
- Farthing now faces several charges, including a felony count of battery on a law enforcement officer
A Kentucky man was over the moon after winning the biggest lottery prize in the state’s history. But four days later, he was behind bars.
On the night of Saturday, April 26, James Farthing learned that his $2 Powerball ticket that he bought his mom was a winner, and the duo had won a $167.3 million jackpot, the largest lottery prize in the history of Kentucky, according to the Kentucky Lottery.
Along with his mom, Linda Grizzle, Farthing, 50, collected the prize — and posed for photos with a giant check — on Monday, April 28, with the Georgetown native telling the Kentucky Lottery that “it’s going to be a good Mother’s Day.” He also shared plans to “pay off my debt.”
Grizzle was shocked, telling the company she “would have never dreamed” of winning the historic prize and saying that it still “hasn’t sunken in yet.”
However, the mother-son duo’s celebration was short-lived. Days later, on Wednesday, April 30, Farthing was arrested.
The newly minted lottery winner was at a hotel out of state on April 30, when an altercation broke out, leading a deputy with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office to arrest him, according to police records obtained by Kentucky outlet WKYT, Louisiana Fox affiliate WVUE-DT .
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Saturday, May 3. According to , Farthing was at the TradeWinds Resort in St. Pete Beach
