A man who has spent 30 of his 50 years alive behind bars at 25 different prisons around the US has won $167.3 million on the Powerball lottery. Who says good things don’t happen to good people eh?

James Shannon Farthing, 50, has racked up convictions across nine counties in Kentucky for a list of offenses including choking his girlfriend, bribing officers while in prison and selling cocaine to an undercover cop.

He’s categorised as a “persistent felony offender” with a 16-page rap sheet and would even consistently break the law while in prison, with a disciplinary record including assaults, drug possession, loansharking, gambling, drug smuggling, and positive tests for alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, and depressants.

Here are just a few of his mug shot photos over the year:

Basically, James Shannon Farthing is a bad, bad dude. But still, he could’ve used some luck for once in his life, and that luck came in the form of a winning $2 Powetball ticket he bought at a convenience store in Georgetown, where he lives with his 77-year=old mum.

Here he is celebrating his winnings with an oversized cheque, and his mum and girlfriend by his side:

$167.3 million! I’m not sure what’s harder to do: win $167.3 million on the lottery or get yourself locked up in 25 different prisons over 30 years without ending up in prison for life. At some point, you’d think a judge would look at his history and just give the guy a life sentence and be done with it.

But if anything can make a career criminal value their freedom, surely it’s $167.3 million in the bank. James Shannon Farthing will never have to commit another crime in his life! Oh wait, except for the part where he was immediately arrested again after violating his parole by travelling to a Florida resort, where he punched a fellow guest in the face, kicked the responding police officer in the face, and then attempted to flee on foot. Via the NY Post:

A day into his recent short-lived Florida vacation, Farthing allegedly punched a guest in the face during an 11 PM argument at the TradeWinds Resort in St. Pete Beach. When a cop sought to break up the fight, Farthing kicked him in the face “in an attempt to injure and or incapacitate myself,” according to an arrest affidavitsworn by the officer.

Farthing then refused to place his hands behind his back and “attempted to flee on foot out of the hotel,” reported Deputy Nicholas Areostatico, who said the kick left him with “pain in my face” and “swelling and redness” under his right eye.

Farthing was arrested and booked into the Pinellas County jail for battery on a law enforcement officer, a felony, and misdemeanor counts of resisting police and battery. In addition to the Florida charges, a fugitive warrant was lodged against Farthing for, once again, violating his Kentucky parole (this time for not securing travel permission).

What a f***ing idiot. Imagine winning $167.3 million on the lottery and immediately screwing it up this badly! He’s now out on an $11,000 bond (which he could obviously afford), but is looking at a decent chunk of prison time when he’s sentenced today (July 14). There’s no way they’re going to take a 1000x repeat offender kicking a police officer in the face and fleeing the scene lightly. Although given his history, I don’t think he minds too much? Even if he does now have millions in the bank and every reason in the world to want to remain free (you’d think).

Once he’s done with this next stretch in prison, I think it may be a good idea for James Shannon Farthing to hop on a plane and go start fresh somewhere. Leave the US behind and start another life in Asia or South America or something. Go live out the rest of your days on a beach with your millions of dollars, and if you have to punch someone in the face over there, just bribe your way out of it. I don’t know what other advice to give him at this point, to be fair.

F0r the luckiest man ever who became an instant millionaire when a £1,400,000 meteorite crashed through his roof, click HERE.