Career criminal who’s been in 25 prisons wins $167M Powerball & gets arrested again

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A gentleman from Kentucky, known for having an exceptionally long criminal record in the state, recently struck it rich with a lottery win. However, mere weeks after his triumph, he found himself once more behind bars.

As an ecstatic lotto enthusiast, I’m thrilled to share that on April 28, I became the fortunate winner of a staggering $167.3 million Powerball jackpot! This life-changing victory unfolded when I purchased a simple $2 ticket at a local store in Georgetown, Kentucky. In the annals of Kentucky Lottery history, this monumental win now stands as the most significant triumph ever recorded.

Farthing resides at the same location as his 77-year-old mother, Linda Grizzle, but promptly departed the town following his victory. Instead of staying put, he and his girlfriend jetted off to a sunny beach resort in Florida for celebration purposes. The snag, however, lay in the fact that Farthing hadn’t secured approval from his parole officer to travel beyond Kentucky.

Authorities categorize Farthing as a “repeated serious criminal offender.” Over the course of 35 years, his criminal history fills 16 pages and encompasses convictions across at least nine counties. His crimes range from drug trafficking, bribing correctional officers, possessing illegally obtained firearms, strangling a girlfriend, escaping from a prison work detail, to even implicating his own mother in a marijuana smuggling scheme.

Based on The Smoking Gun’s report, Farthing has spent over 30 years in various prisons and jails (25 in total), due to his criminal activities. While incarcerated, he continued to engage in illegal activities, including drug trafficking, assaults, gambling, loan sharking, and even running a theft ring where fellow inmates had to pay him to retrieve their stolen possessions.

Career criminal arrested after winning $167.3M Powerball

In a single day of his Florida getaway, it’s claimed that he got into a heated nighttime dispute with another hotel guest at the TradeWinds Resort in St. Pete Beach. When a sheriff’s officer attempted to mediate, Farthing is said to have retaliated by kicking him in the face and fleeing the scene instead.

As stated in the warrant report, Farthing allegedly attempted to harm or render an officer helpless. Eventually, he was apprehended and indicted for assaulting a law enforcement official, resisting arrest, and basic battery. He was then taken into custody at the Pinellas County jail, remanded due to breaching his Kentucky parole.

Later on, Farthing was returned to Kentucky and confined at the Scott County jail. To ensure safety because of his unexpected wealth, authorities chose not to list him on the public inmate registry.

Instead of opting for parole hearings, he decided to extend his stay in custody by a month. Following his release in late June, Florida authorities filed formal charges against him for striking an officer (felony battery) and resisting arrest. The basic battery charge, however, was dismissed.

In response to the charges against him, Farthing asserted his innocence and was granted bail amounting to $11,000. His court date for formal hearing is set for July 14. If found guilty, he faces a potential imprisonment term of up to five years.

Regardless of his recent lottery winnings, Farthing’s old history seems to persistently dog him, and there’s a chance it could see him return to prison once more.

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2025-07-03 21:18