Powerball $167M Jackpot Winner Arrested for Alleged Burglary

James Farthing, who won a $167 million Powerball jackpot, was arrested last year for kicking a police officer in the face during a hotel altercation. However, the 51-year-old has been arrested again, this time for allegedly stealing $12,000 and fleeing.

Jackpot Winner Arrested Again

Farthing was arrested Saturday on charges of second-degree burglary and marijuana possession, according to NBC affiliate LEX 18. Police apprehended him at the parking lot of The Red Mile racetrack. Reports say officers also found marijuana in his vehicle.

The arrest follows an alleged burglary that Farthing committed recently. An arrest citation from the Lexington Police Department states that Farthing was captured on security footage entering a residence in the city. The alleged victim told police they heard a loud noise, as if the door had been forced open, and reported that Farthing took $12,000 in cash before fleeing in a black Porsche SUV.

Why Was Farthing Arrested Previously?

When he won the Powerball jackpot last year, he split it with his mother, Linda Grizzle. He told reporters at the time he had caused her “a lot of stress.” He acknowledged that he had made poor decisions in his life but said he had maintained his faith and tried to do what was right.

However, just 24 hours later, he was involved in a bar fight at the Island Grand Hotel, part of the TradeWinds Resort in St. Pete Beach, Florida. A police officer attempting to intervene was reportedly “kicked in the cheek” by Farthing, who then resisted arrest and tried to flee before being subdued with a Taser.

Last month, he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of battery and resisting an officer without violence in connection with the incident and was sentenced to time served, along with a $1,000 fine.

The Jackpot Winner Has Been In a Lot of Trouble Before

Unfortunately, this is not the only legal issue that Farthing has had recently. In February, he was charged with intimidating a participant in the legal process after deputies responded to a home in Lexington, where a woman reported being threatened with a gun and forced to consume a gummy. He is scheduled to appear in court on that charge in April.

He is also facing an outstanding hit-and-run charge related to a November 2025 crash in Fayette County, where he allegedly fled the scene on foot after rear-ending another vehicle.

Farthing has spent much of his life incarcerated across 25 different correctional facilities. His criminal activity began in his teenage years, with arrests for offenses ranging from theft to reckless driving. He completed only 10 years of formal education and later obtained his GED while in prison.In other news regarding the Powerball – two lucky players became millionaires from last week’s draw, winning $1 million and $2 million respectively, while the jackpot continued to climb.