From accepting a check to sitting behind bars for battery on an officer, lottery winner repeats criminal behavior

By Kate Northrop

ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. — Just days after claiming a $167.3 million Powerball jackpot, a lottery winner was arrested alongside his girlfriend at a Florida resort bar for punching another customer and kicking a police officer during an altercation.

What goes up must come down — the Kentucky winner of a $167.3 million Powerball jackpot is sitting behind bars within the same week he posed with a huge lottery check with his mother and girlfriend.

Linda Grizzle and her son, James Shannon Farthing, 50, were announced as the two winners of the jackpot by the Kentucky Lottery this week. They didn't waste any time in claiming the prize, with the pair and Farthing's girlfriend, Jacqueline Ann Fightmaster, 42, showing up to Lottery offices just two days after the drawing.

But not even a full week later, Farthing and Fightmaster were arrested by officers at the TradeWinds Resort in St. Pete Beach, Florida following a violent bar altercation between the lottery winner and another patron.

According to an arrest affidavit filed in Pinellas County, Farthing punched another customer named Kevin Rushing in the face during an argument. When police arrived and intervened to break up the fight, Farthing kicked an officer in the face.

Later, the officer reviewed surveillance footage in the establishment and observed Farthing intentionally "winding up his right leg" to kick him in a clear attempt to cause injury. The officer was left with "visible swelling and redness on the right side of [his] face underneath [the] right eye," the police report says.

Farthing was then instructed "to turn around and put his hands behind his back," but he refused and started to flee out of the hotel on foot.

A little after 11:00 p.m. on Tuesday evening, he was arrested and charged with simple battery, battery on a law enforcement officer, and resisting an officer without violence by means of obstruction.

Meanwhile, Fightmaster was observed actively engaging in the argument involving her boyfriend and was attempting to "fight the other patrons at the bar," her own corresponding arrest affidavit reads. She "appeared very intoxicated and was yelling, screaming, and making incoherent statements." Hotel staff expressed wishes to press charges against Fightmaster, and she was charged with disorderly intoxication by way of causing a public disturbance.

Farthing was booked into Pinellas County Jail in Clearwater, Florida at around 4:45 a.m. on Wednesday and remains in custody on a bond exceeding $11,000 for all his charges. However, he was on parole at the time of his arrest and was therefore handed an additional charge of violating parole.

Farthing has a colorful criminal history, having been incarcerated three times and having committed several felonies throughout the past 25 years. His crimes include theft, receiving stolen property, drug trafficking, escape from a detention facility, engaging in an organized crime syndicate, promoting contraband, drug possession, and tampering with physical evidence. His last offense was committed in 2016.

His most recent parole supervision began in September 2023 and was scheduled to conclude in August 2025.

Although posting bail may not be an issue for the newly minted lottery millionaire, Farthing remains in prison due to his Kentucky parole violator warrant, which the Kentucky Department of Corrections issued as a result of his recent arrest and since he left the state without the permission of a parole officer.

Fightmaster was also booked into Pinellas County Jail at about 1:30 a.m. the same night but has since been released.

(Click to display full-size in gallery)Just days ago the couple was pictured as part of a $167.3 million Powerball jackpot claim.

(Click to display full-size in gallery)Quite a different look for the newly-minted Powerball winners.