A Kentucky lottery winner who collected a $167.3 million Powerball jackpot has been arrested for the fifth time since striking it rich.
James Farthing, 51, was arrested early Sunday after deputies reportedly discovered him asleep in a running Ford Mustang at a Walmart parking lot in Georgetown, about 15 miles north of Lexington.
The Scott County Sheriff’s Office was contacted shortly before 3 a.m. following a report of a white Mustang displaying a temporary tag stopped in the middle of an intersection. The caller later told dispatchers that the vehicle had moved and was parked at a nearby Walmart.
Deputies found the Mustang near an electric-vehicle charging station with the engine running, according to a citation. Farthing was the only person inside and was asleep behind the wheel.
After knocking on the window several times, deputies eventually woke Farthing. Authorities said he displayed multiple apparent signs of intoxication when he got out of the vehicle.
The citation states that Farthing smelled of alcohol and marijuana, had watery, bloodshot eyes, spoke with slurred words and struggled to keep his balance.
Farthing reportedly told officers that a woman had driven him to Walmart and abandoned him there. However, deputies said surveillance video showed the Mustang entering the parking lot without anyone leaving the vehicle before law enforcement arrived.
Deputies described Farthing in the citation as “manifestly under the influence of alcohol” and said he appeared to present a risk to himself and others because he may have driven while impaired.
James Farthing, 51, was arrested early Sunday after deputies allegedly found him asleep and intoxicated behind the wheel of a running Mustang at a Walmart parking lot in Georgetown.
The latest arrest is the newest chapter in a series of encounters with police since Farthing won Kentucky’s largest Powerball jackpot in April 2025. He purchased the winning $2 ticket at Clark’s Pump N Shop in Georgetown and initially said he intended to share the fortune with his mother. Within days of his life-changing win, however, he was behind bars.
Farthing’s first arrest came in Florida during the early morning hours of Wednesday, May 1, 2025, just days after the Powerball drawing. He had been staying at the TradeWinds Resort in St. Pete Beach when he became involved in a confrontation with another man.
He was arrested shortly after 4 a.m. and charged with public intoxication.
Farthing was booked into the Scott County Detention Center, while the newest case remains pending in Scott County District Court.
The incident represents Farthing’s fifth arrest since he won Kentucky’s record-setting Powerball jackpot in April 2025.
Farthing bought the winning ticket at Clark’s Pump N Shop in Georgetown and chose to divide the $167.3 million prize with his mother.
In the immediate aftermath of the win, Farthing appeared overwhelmed by his sudden wealth. “I still don’t believe it’s real,” he told WLKY.
He also said he had caused his mother “a lot of stress,” while insisting that he had “kept my faith and done right.”
But the Kentucky lottery winner’s remarkable financial turnaround was quickly followed by a series of legal troubles.
Only days after securing the jackpot, Farthing was jailed in Florida after an altercation at the TradeWinds Resort in St. Pete Beach.
An arrest affidavit said deputies were called to the resort following reports of a fight. Farthing was accused of punching another man and then confronting officers who tried to step in.
In February 2026, Farthing was arrested again in Georgetown. Deputies had responded to a home after a woman called 911 saying she feared that people inside had a weapon and wanted to hurt her
Farthing’s third arrest came in March. He was charged with second-degree burglary and marijuana possession
According to police, officers were attempting to break up a fight when Farthing allegedly kicked a Pinellas County sheriff’s deputy in the face.
He then allegedly tried to flee before officers used a Taser. Farthing later pleaded guilty and received a sentence of time served and a $1,000 fine.
But his legal troubles did not end there, his second arrest came in February 2026 in Georgetown when woman called 911, telling authorities she feared for her safety as people inside a home might harm her.
Authorities found the woman hiding beneath a desk. She told investigators that Farthing had picked her up for a gathering and allegedly pressured her into taking a ‘gummy.’
During a search of Farthing’s home, authorities reported finding a handgun, ammunition, marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
And Farthing was arrested again in March and charged with second-degree burglary and marijuana possession.
Police alleged that security-camera footage showed him entering a Lexington home, where he was accused of stealing around $12,000 in cash.
One of the Fayette County criminal cases involving burglary and marijuana possession was later dismissed, according to WLEX.
Farthing was arrested for a fourth time in July following allegations of domestic violence. According to the criminal complaint, Farthing and a woman had been on a boat trip before an argument allegedly turned physical. Farthing pleaded not guilty but was ultimately charged with first degree strangulation and fourth degree assult
His fourth arrest came in July where he was charged with first-degree strangulation and fourth-degree assault following allegations involving a woman with whom he had been on a boat trip.
According to the criminal complaint, the pair argued after returning from the trip before Farthing allegedly put both hands around the woman’s neck and restricted her breathing.
Farthing pleaded not guilty. A judge set his bond at $15,000, ordered him to have no contact with the alleged victim and required him to wear an electronic monitoring device.
Now, only months later, Farthing has been arrested again on account of alcohol intoxication in a public place.
The circumstances are markedly different from some of the more serious allegations he has previously faced, but the arrest nevertheless makes it the fifth time he has been taken into custody since winning his multimillion-dollar jackpot.
He is now facing the public intoxication charge in Scott County District Court and is due to be arraigned on the latest charge Tuesday.
Farthing’s latest case remains pending, and the allegations in his various criminal cases have not all resulted in convictions.
