$167.3 million Powerball Winner to Remain in Jail

If you were to win a $167.3 million Powerball jackpot, you’d probably start making plans for plenty of holidays. Not so, James Shannon Farthing from Kentucky, USA as he’s going to be in prison until at least August.

The Powerball jackpot came in the draw held on April 25.  Farthing is sharing the winnings with his mother Linda Grizzle.

Altercation

However, his celebrations were cut short when just five days later, the 50-year-old was arrested in St Pete Beach, Florida. His arrest followed an argument with another customer and then a police officer.

It’s claimed that he punched the customer after they had a disagreement. The police officer intervened but was then allegedly kicked in the face by Farthing.

The past quarter-of-a-century has seen him facing legal problems. When he was arrested, Farthing was on parole and this latest arrest violated its conditions.  $2 billion Powerball winner Edwin Castro has also had a few legal problems  since his win.

The parole supervision period commenced in September 2023. It was due to end this August. Farthing was kept in custody due to his parole violation. He has now waived his right to a hearing.

As a result, he will remain at the Scott County Detention Center in Georgetown, Kentucky. Despite his sentence not due to end until November, he’s expected to be released in August.

When he and his mother swiftly came forward to claim their Powerball jackpot winnings, Farthing said that becoming a multi-millionaire was a chance for him to change his ways.

Lot of stress

It would also give him the opportunity to make it up to his mother. The Powerball winner said that he had “caused her a lot of stress” in the past and he’d made “bad decisions.” He added that “something’s happened good for me.”

The pair had spent long periods apart from each other due to his time in jail. Little did he imagine that was going to happen again within a week of winning the Powerball jackpot.

Friday’s Powerball draw has a $118 million top prize.

Get tickets now from Lottery24.