Only two days after winning a $167.3 million jackpot, which made James Shannon Farthing Kentucky’s wealthiest Powerball winner, he ended up in a Florida jail cell – accused of kicking a police officer in the face amid a brawl. At the very least, he can pay for a competent attorney. 

Farthing, 50, from Georgetown, Ky., won the Powerball jackpot alongside his mother, Linda Grizzle, on April 27. The duo were captured the following day at the lottery headquarters smiling with a giant novelty check. 

Brawl Disorder 

On April 29 at approximately 11:15 pm, deputies from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office responded to calls regarding a brawl in the bar located at the Island Grand Hotel, which is part of the Tradewinds Resort in St. Pete Beach, Florida. According to the arrest report, they discovered Farthing engaged in a fight with another individual, Kevin Rushing. 

Officers observed Farthing hit Rushing on the left side of the face with a clenched fist. As they tried to step in, a deputy was “struck in the face.” Authorities reported that Farthing attempted to evade capture and resisted being taken into custody before he was apprehended. 

Farthing's partner, aptly named Jacqueline Fightmaster, 42, was likewise apprehended at the location. The arrest report mentioned that “she was shouting, screaming, and uttering nonsensical statements” while attempting to confront other customers in the bar. 

Fightmaster, who had been seen with the novelty check the previous day, was charged with disorderly intoxication. 

Farthing faces charges for battery, obstructing or resisting arrest, and battery against a law enforcement officer. The final charge is classified as a felony, whereas the other two charges are misdemeanors. 

Farthing is detained at the Pinellas County Jail with a bond set at $10K. He showed up in court on May 1 and pleaded not guilty. Court records indicate that he was instructed to refrain from any contact with Rushing. 

Criminal Record 

Court documents in Kentucky indicate that Farthing possesses an extensive criminal background that encompasses convictions for participation in organized crime, altering physical evidence, and escaping from a correctional facility. He was on parole in the state until August 2024 due to prior drug and theft-related charges. 

“I’ve caused a lot of stress on her, you know,” Farthing said of his mother in an interview with WKYT-TV after his win. “I’ve made some bad decisions in life and, you know, God’s been good because I’ve kept my faith and done right.”