John R. Tyson, the embattled chief financial officer of Tyson Foods Inc., was arrested Thursday on suspicion of drunken driving and suspended from the company, the latest in a series of legal troubles for the heir to the meat-packing company.
Tyson, who sparked a scandal in 2022 when he was found half-naked in the college student’s home and unconscious in a stranger’s bed, was arrested at 1:32 a.m. ET in Washington County, Arkansas, according to arrest records.
According to reports, the 34-year-old Tyson was charged with DUI, careless driving and failing to make a right or U-turn. Tyson was released about nine hours after his latest arrest and is scheduled to appear in court on Friday.
“We are aware that Tyson Foods Chief Financial Officer John Randall Tyson has been arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated,” Tyson Foods said in a statement.
“Tyson Foods has suspended Mr. Tyson from his duties effective immediately and appointed Kurt Calaway as interim chief financial officer.”
Tyson, a fourth-generation Tyson family member, was named CFO in late 2022. He was widely seen as a possible successor to the chairman and CEO roles held by his grandfather and father.
Tyson has degrees from Harvard and Stanford Universities and is a former investment banker at JP Morgan.
In November 2022, Tyson was arrested on charges of public intoxication and trespassing after a bizarre incident in which he broke into the home of a college-aged woman.
According to a police report from that time, the woman discovered “an unknown male asleep in her bed” and called police, fearing a possible robbery.
Local police detected the odor of drugs on Tyson’s breath and described his movements as “sluggish and disorganized.” The entire incident was captured on police body camera footage and published by TMZ and other sites.
Tyson later pleaded guilty and agreed to pay a $150 fine on each charge, plus fees totaling $440.
At the time, Tyson apologized to shareholders for his actions and said he would be undergoing counseling for alcoholism.”
“I made a serious mistake and it caused me to think deeply about the impact my actions have on others,” Tyson said at the time.
