Image: James Farthing (center) poses with his mother Linda Grizzle (left) and girlfriend Jacqueline Fightmaster (right) when he won the Powerball jackpot in Kentucky (Kentucky Lottery). Top inset: James Farthing (Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office). Bottom inset: Jacqueline Fightmaster (Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office).
A Kentucky man won the Powerball lottery in his home state and then went to Florida to celebrate, which allegedly got a bit out of hand.
On April 26, James Farthing, aged 50, secured a win in the Kentucky Powerball after purchasing a $2 ticket, sharing the moment with his mother, Linda Grizzle. However, just a few days later, Farthing and his 42-year-old girlfriend, Jacqueline Fightmaster, found themselves involved in an alleged physical dispute with another patron at a bar located in the TradeWinds Resort in St. Pete Beach, Florida.
Reports from an arrest affidavit viewed by Law&Crime indicate that when Pinellas County Sheriff’s officers tried to intervene in the confrontation, Farthing allegedly kicked one of the deputies in the face.
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Both Farthing and Fightmaster were arrested during the alleged brawl, but Fightmaster only ended up being charged with misdemeanor disorderly intoxication. Fightmaster’s affidavit stated that she was allegedly “trying to fight the other patrons at the bar” while “yelling, screaming, and making incoherent statements.”
Farthing, however, was charged with a battery on a law enforcement officer, a felony. According to his arresting affidavit, Farthing allegedly kicked Deputy Nicholas Areostatico in the face, “striking [his] right cheek.”
An excerpt from James Farthing’s arrest affidavit (Pinellas County Circuit Court).
The deputy also wrote in the affidavit that Farthing “refused to comply” with police instructions while being arrested. Farthing was also charged with misdemeanor battery against the bar patron he was allegedly fighting.
Fightmaster posted bond and was released from the Pinellas County Jail. Farthing remains in custody due to a parole violation on a past charge in Kentucky.
The New York Post reported that Farthing, whose $2 Powerball ticket resulted in a $167.3 million win, had planned to split his jackpot with his mother.
The post New $167M Powerball winner won’t be making a quick exit from jail after kicking cop in face during bar fight: Police first appeared on Law & Crime.
