Background: James Farthing (middle) with his mother Linda Grizzle (left) and girlfriend Jacqueline Fightmaster (right) when Farthing won the Powerball lottery in Kentucky (Kentucky Lottery). Inset (top): James Farthing (Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office). Inset (bottom): Jacqueline Fightmaster (Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office).
A Kentucky man won the Powerball lottery in his home state and then went to Florida to celebrate, which allegedly got a bit out of hand.
James Farthing, 50, won the Kentucky Powerball on April 26 after playing a $2 ticket along with his mother, Linda Grizzle. But just days later, on Monday, Farthing and his girlfriend, 42-year-old Jacqueline Fightmaster, were at a TradeWinds Resort in St. Pete Beach, Florida, and allegedly got into a physical altercation with another guest at the bar.
According to an arrest affidavit reviewed by Law&Crime, Pinellas County Sheriff’s deputies attempted to break up the fight — and one deputy was allegedly kicked in the face by Farthing.
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Both Farthing and Fightmaster were arrested during the alleged brawl, but Fightmaster only ended up being charged with misdemeanor disorderly intoxication. Fightmaster’s affidavit stated that she was allegedly “trying to fight the other patrons at the bar” while “yelling, screaming, and making incoherent statements.”
Farthing, however, was charged with a battery on a law enforcement officer, a felony. According to his arresting affidavit, Farthing allegedly kicked Deputy Nicholas Areostatico in the face, “striking [his] right cheek.”
An excerpt from James Farthing’s arrest affidavit (Pinellas County Circuit Court).
The deputy also wrote in the affidavit that Farthing “refused to comply” with police instructions while being arrested. Farthing was also charged with misdemeanor battery against the bar patron he was allegedly fighting.
Fightmaster posted bond and was released from the Pinellas County Jail. Farthing remains in custody due to a parole violation on a past charge in Kentucky.
The New York Post reported that Farthing, whose $2 Powerball ticket resulted in a $167.3 million win, had planned to split his jackpot with his mother.
