A Kentucky man was ecstatic after winning the state’s largest lottery prize in history. But four days later, he was in jail.
On Saturday night, April 26, James Farthing learned that his $2 Powerball ticket, which he had purchased for his mother, had won a $167.3 million jackpot, the largest lottery prize in Kentucky history, according to the Kentucky Lottery.
On Monday, April 28, Farthing, 50, and his mother, Linda Grizzle, collected the prize and posed for photos with a giant check, with the Georgetown native telling the Kentucky Lottery that “it is going to be a good Mother’s Day.” He also discussed plans to “pay off my debt.”
Grizzle was stunned, telling the company she “would never have dreamed” of winning the historic prize and that it “has not sunken in yet.”
However, the mother-son duo’s celebration was brief. Days later, on Wednesday, April 30, Farthing was arrested.
The newly minted lottery winner was at a hotel out of state on April 30 when an altercation erupted, prompting a deputy with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office to arrest him, according to police records obtained by Kentucky outlet WKYT, Louisiana Fox affiliate WVUE-DT, and USA Today.
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Saturday, May 3.
According to USA Today, Farthing was at the TradeWinds Resort in St. Pete Beach, Florida, when a fight broke out, and he allegedly punched another patron in the face.
Meanwhile, his girlfriend allegedly attempted to fight hotel guests, according to USA Today. She “appeared very intoxicated,” the affidavit said, “and was yelling, screaming, and making incoherent statements.”
Farthing allegedly kicked a Pinellas County Sheriff’s deputy in the face after he attempted to break up the fight, according to USA Today. According to an arrest affidavit, the deputy attempted to resist arrest by fleeing the hotel after the alleged kick, which caused swelling and redness in his face, but was apprehended, the outlet reported.
Farthing was booked into jail on April 30 and charged with one felony count of battery on a law enforcement officer, two misdemeanor counts of battery and resisting an officer, and a parole violation, according to court records obtained by PEOPLE.
According to USA Today, his girlfriend, whose name has not been made public, has also been charged with one misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct.
It is unclear whether Farthing or his girlfriend have retained legal counsel to comment on their behalf.
According to WKYT, Farthing was on parole until August 2024 for a series of Kentucky charges. His previous convictions include drug and theft offenses, as well as evidence tampering and involvement in organized crime, according to the outlet.