Tyson Foods heir pleads not guilty to charge of driving while intoxicated

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Tyson Foods heir and executive John R

Tyson Foods heir and executive John R. Tyson has pleaded not guilty to a charge of driving while intoxicated.

Tyson entered the plea Monday in Fayetteville District Court in Fayetteville, Arkansas, a court spokeswoman said. Tyson is next due in court on Aug. 28.

Tyson, 34, was arrested June 13 by University of Arkansas police in Fayetteville after he was seen driving carelessly and making an illegal turn. He was released from custody the same day on a $1,105 bond.

Tyson, who has served as Tyson Foods' chief financial officer since 2022, was immediately suspended by the company after his arrest, Springdale, Arkansas-based Tyson Foods said last month. The company didn't respond Monday when asked about Tyson's plea.

It was the second time in less than two years that Tyson was arrested on alcohol-related charges. In November 2022, he was charged with public intoxication and criminal trespassing after allegedly entering a stranger’s home in Fayetteville and falling asleep in her bed.

Tyson sent a companywide email apologizing for that incident, saying he was embarrassed and was getting counseling for alcohol abuse. He initially pled not guilty to those charges but later settled them by agreeing to plead guilty and paying fines and court fees.

Tyson, a former investment banker, is the son of Tyson Foods Chairman John H. Tyson and the great-grandson of company founder John W. Tyson.

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