$167M Powerball winner arrested for 4th time since jackpot for allegedly strangling woman

James Farthing, the Kentucky man who won the state’s largest-ever Powerball jackpot, has been arrested again, marking his fourth arrest since claiming the prize in 2025.

Farthing, 51, was arrested on Monday, July 27, in Scott County after allegedly strangling a woman following a boating trip. According to investigators, the woman alleged that Farthing grabbed her by the neck during an argument on Sunday morning, leaving visible welts. She also claimed the alleged assault may have been captured on a Ring camera inside the bedroom.

Farthing pleaded not guilty on Tuesday, July 28, to charges of strangulation and assault. A judge set his bond at $15,000 and ordered him to have no contact with the alleged victim while also wearing an electronic monitoring device. Farthing won a $167.3 million Powerball jackpot in April 2025, the largest lottery prize in Kentucky’s history.

However, just days after claiming the jackpot, he was arrested in Florida for allegedly kicking a sheriff’s deputy in the head during a fight at a hotel bar. He was later arrested in connection with an alleged witness intimidation case and was also recently charged over a November hit-and-run incident.

Police alleged that Farthing was driving his Corvette at more than 100 mph when he rear-ended another vehicle before fleeing the scene on foot. The latest charges add to a series of legal troubles that have followed Farthing since his record-breaking lottery win.