GEORGETOWN, KY — A Kentucky man who won a $167.3 million Powerball jackpot last year was arrested again after deputies said they found him intoxicated and asleep inside a running car parked at a Walmart in Georgetown.
James Farthing, 51, was taken into custody early Sunday after police responded to a report of a white Mustang stopped in the middle of an intersection and later parked near an electric vehicle charging station. Authorities said Farthing was alone in the vehicle and did not wake right away when deputies tried to rouse him.
The arrest is the latest in a string of criminal cases involving the lottery winner, whose prize was the largest in Kentucky history. It also marks his fifth arrest since claiming the winnings in April 2025, according to court and police records referenced by WLEX.
Deputies said Farthing showed clear signs of intoxication
According to a citation from the Scott County Sheriff’s Office, deputies found Farthing asleep in the driver’s seat of the Mustang with the engine running. The car had been parked near the Walmart lot’s charging area when officers arrived.
Deputies said they had to knock repeatedly on the window before he woke up. When he got out of the car, authorities said he smelled of alcohol and marijuana and had bloodshot, watery eyes, slurred speech and trouble keeping his balance.
Police wrote that Farthing was “manifestly under the influence of alcohol” and created a danger to himself and others because he may have driven while impaired. He was charged with alcohol intoxication in a public place and later booked into the Scott County Detention Center.
Caller said the Mustang had been in an intersection before moving to the parking lot
Officers were first alerted just before 3 a.m. after a caller reported a white Mustang with a temporary tag sitting in the middle of an intersection. Dispatchers were later told the car had moved and was now in the Walmart parking lot.
When deputies arrived, they found the vehicle still running. Farthing told police a woman had driven him to the lot and left him there, but investigators said surveillance video did not show anyone getting out of the Mustang after it pulled in.
The details became important because officers said they had reason to believe he may have operated the car while impaired. The case is now pending in Scott County District Court.
The arrest adds to several other cases filed since his jackpot win
Farthing’s latest arrest comes after several other legal troubles in the months since he claimed the Powerball prize. Days after the win, he was arrested in Florida following an altercation at a beach resort, according to court records and police accounts.
In that case, authorities said he kicked a Pinellas County sheriff’s deputy in the face during a fight and then tried to run before being tased. He later pleaded guilty and received time served plus $1,000 in fines.
In February 2026, Farthing was arrested again in Georgetown on an intimidation charge after a woman called 911 saying she feared for her life. Deputies found the woman hiding under a desk, and she later told investigators that Farthing had pressured her to take a “gummy” after bringing her to a gathering.
Domestic violence and burglary allegations followed in separate Kentucky cases
Farthing was arrested again in July on charges of first-degree strangulation and fourth-degree assault tied to domestic violence allegations. Police said the case involved an unidentified woman who told investigators the two argued during a boat trip and that Farthing allegedly put both hands around her neck when they returned.
He pleaded not guilty in that case. A judge set bond at $15,000 and ordered him to have no contact with the alleged victim. Court orders also required him to wear an electronic monitoring device that would alert authorities if he violated the no-contact terms.
His third arrest came in March, when police accused him of second-degree burglary and marijuana possession. Investigators said security footage showed him entering a Lexington home and stealing about $12,000 in cash. One Fayette County case involving burglary and marijuana possession was later dismissed.
Lottery prize brought instant attention, but legal problems kept growing
Farthing drew widespread attention in April 2025 when he said he would split the jackpot with his mother. The $167.3 million Powerball win was the biggest lottery prize ever awarded in Kentucky, making his story one of the state’s most closely watched jackpot moments.
Since then, however, the attention has increasingly centered on his repeated arrests and the charges that followed. The current public intoxication case remains pending, leaving Farthing once again in the criminal justice system while his lottery fortune continues to be overshadowed by legal trouble.
WLEX reported that the newest case is before Scott County District Court, adding another entry to a yearlong series of arrests that began soon after his historic win.
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