James Farthing, the Kentucky man who made headlines after winning the state’s largest-ever Powerball jackpot, seems to have no rest. And it’s not because he’s busy spending his money on trips around the world or luxury cars.
The now-controversial winner is once again at the center of legal trouble, this time around for alleged serious domestic violence-related charges.
Disturbing Strangulation Incident
According to authorities in Scott County, Kentucky, US, Farthing was placed under arrest following an alleged incident at his home on Sunday.
The criminal complaint filed by the Scott County Sheriff’s Office says the man has been charged with first-degree strangulation and fourth-degree assault.
Investigators allege that Farthing and his alleged partner had returned from a boating trip on Sunday morning when an argument between them escalated into a violent confrontation.
The complaint says that Farthing, who has since been taken to the Scott County Detention Center, allegedly placed both hands around the woman’s neck and proceeded to lift her against a wall.
Officers who arrived at the scene said that the woman had visible injuries to her neck.
Nonstop Legal Issues
The latest arrest adds to a growing list of legal issues that have followed Farthing since his life-changing lottery win in April 2025.
He claimed a Powerball jackpot worth $167.3 million, the largest prize ever won in Kentucky. At the time, he announced that he planned to share the winnings with his mother, Linda Grizzle, who had purchased the winning ticket.
Only days after celebrating the historic jackpot, Farthing was arrested in Pinellas County, Florida, where he faced charges that included two counts of first-degree battery and resisting an officer without violence. Court records show that he pleaded not guilty to those charges earlier this year.
His legal troubles went on later in 2025 when prosecutors indicted him on a felony wanton endangerment charge. Authorities alleged that he fled the scene of a crash in Lexington while driving at speeds estimated between 103 and 117 miles per hour.
Court records also show that Farthing has faced several previous charges in Scott County over recent years, including allegations involving assault, strangulation, witness intimidation and illegal substance possession.