Incarcerated lottery winner waives right to hearing
By Kate Northrop
Following his arrest days after winning a historic $167.3 million Powerball jackpot, a Kentucky lottery winner will serve out his sentence after waiving his right to a hearing.
The lottery winner of a $167.3 million Powerball jackpot, the largest prize ever awarded in the state of Kentucky, requested to serve out the remainder of his sentence.
On April 30, James Shannon Farthing, 50, was arrested at a resort bar in St. Pete Beach, Florida following an altercation with another patron and an officer. According to arrest reports, he punched a customer during an argument and kicked an officer in the face when he attempted to intervene.
The jackpot winner has a colorful criminal history dating back 25 years. He was on parole at the time of his arrest and was therefore handed a charge of violating parole in addition to several others relating to battery and resisting arrest.
His most recent parole supervision began in September 2023 and would have concluded this August.
Pinellas County court records show that on May 23, his attorney submitted a written plea of not guilty. However, the Kentucky Parole Board said Farthing waived his right to a probable cause hearing and a final revocation hearing, requesting instead to serve out his sentence.
Prior to claiming the record prize, Farthing told WKYT reporters that winning was an opportunity to change his ways and make it up to his mother, who he had split the prize with.
"I've caused a lot of stress on her [my mom], you know, I've made some bad decisions in life, and you know, God's been good because I've kept my faith and done right, and something's happened good for me," Farthing said in an interview with the media outlet.
According to the Kentucky Department of Corrections, Farthing will serve his sentence until Nov. 4, 2025. However, the Kentucky Parole Board says he is expected to be released on Aug. 27, 2025. The Department of Corrections database shows he is currently being held at the Scott County Detention Center in Georgetown, Kentucky.
You have a few more months then 🥳 🎉... Still happy he won
Hopefully these next few months will give him the time to get his head in the right place. What a win.
Oh, no doubt.... ole Shannon has learned his lesson. A changed, God- fearing man for certain....50 years old and still living in prison...Again. Anyone taking odds what happens within 12 months after completed time served ?
Looking at jail bars again in 13 months.
Always these types that win wow
I'm pretty sure he'll be getting sued by all those he battered, the other payron, the cop, etc .. Civil lawsuit
anything is possible ....
Mother's love is a very powerful equalizer. His professed love for his mother might just be the catalyst to make him stronger and able to deal with life as an adult.
The Good News the world will be very quiet and peaceful and lawful for a while until he comes out of Jail. Me personally l won't stay in Jail for even 5 seconds more l will hire $1,000,000 defense attorneys for celebrities
Today l bought one quick pick mega millions with 5X in Indiana am happy 😃
Good thing for him he claimed the ticket right away. If his release date had been delayed or pushed back for any reason the 180 day claiming period may have expired.
My roommate served for sixteen years on the KY Parole Board. If this happened while on his term, he wouldn't tell me anything about it stating it's against State law. We were @ odds with child abuse cases. I couldn't discuss the kids I sometimes had to extubate (terminally) and he couldn't tell me with Defendant was up for parole. So I fixed everything a long time ago since I knew all seven board members. Simply said 'Child abuse=serve out'.
This guy will probably be back behind bars in no time. To each their own, but never understood the mentality of a criminal mindset.
Let's not forget he still has to face felony charges here in Florida. And we don't take too kindly to folk that would look to harm one of our poh-leese officers.
Some people are more likely to be struck by lightning ⚡️ than win the lottery and some people are more likely to win the lottery because they have already been struck by lightning ⚡️ lol 😝 When l was a baby there was an assassination attempt on me . I was thrown out of upstairs window three separate times and survived all and even though it's a big family with over 32 children l was the only baby that fell three times and no other fell even once . After watching CSI decided to investigate .So to me am more likely to win the lottery 😇
While they have him in custody, how about investigating him for cheating the lottery!