Kentucky Powerball’s $167 million jackpot winner, James Farthing, has been indicted for felony wanton endangerment and misdemeanor leaving the scene of a crash, marking the fourth time he has found himself on the wrong side of the law since he won the record jackpot last year.
Kentucky Powerball Jackpot Winner Once Again Falls In Trouble With the Law
Farthing has an extensive criminal history that includes convictions and charges involving theft, drug smuggling, organized crime, domestic assault, and more. He won the record-breaking Powerball jackpot in April of last year, sharing it with his mother, Linda Grizzle.
According to his newest indictment, in November 2025, Farthing was driving a gray 2025 Chevrolet Corvette at speeds of up to 117 mph when he rear-ended another vehicle before allegedly fleeing the scene. The indictment alleges that he drove with extreme indifference to the value of human life and that his actions created a substantial risk of death or serious physical injury to other motorists.
Farthing Can’t Seem to Stay Out of the Wrong Side of the Law
One might think that, with a record like his, Farthing would turn over his life of trouble with the authorities. Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to have been the case, as just a few days after winning the record-breaking jackpot, he ended up in jail after he kicked an officer in the face. The incident occurred when the officer intervened to break things up during a physical altercation Farthing was involved in at a hotel, in which he was celebrating his victory.
In February 2026, he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery and resisting an officer without violence charges stemming from the incident. He was sentenced to nine days of time served and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine. Later that month, he was charged with intimidating a participant in the legal process after deputies responded to a Lexington, Kentucky, residence, where a woman alleged that he threatened her with a gun and forced her to consume a gummy.
However, that wasn’t the end of it, as just a month later, in March, Farthing was arrested on charges of second-degree burglary and marijuana possession. According to an arrest report filed by the Lexington Police Department, security footage allegedly showed Farthing entering a home in the city. The alleged victim told police they heard what sounded like the door being kicked in and reported that Farthing took $12,000 in cash before leaving the scene in a black Porsche SUV.