(Bloomberg) -- John R. Tyson, the suspended chief financial officer of Tyson Foods Inc., pleaded not guilty to charges of driving while intoxicated.
Tyson, the great-grandson of the founder of the largest US meat packer, entered his plea Tuesday in state court in Fayetteville, Arkansas, according to a court clerk. His criminal trial is scheduled for Aug. 28.
The arrest marks the second time the 34-year-old executive has been arrested in an incident involving intoxication. Two years earlier, he pleaded guilty to public intoxication and criminal trespass after a woman found him asleep in her home in Arkansas.
Tyson retained the support of Tyson Food’s board of directors following his first arrest, but the new charges could jeopardize his path to the top of the company. He has been considered a potential successor to Chief Executive Officer Donnie King, a position that has historically been held by family members.
A spokesperson for the company didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The new charges stem from Tyson’s arrest in June 13 by the University of Arkansas Police Department. He was pulled over after midnight when a police officer observed his silver sports utility vehicle speeding and striking a curb, according to a preliminary report from the department. An officer detected the smell of alcohol coming from Tyson’s vehicle, and Tyson eventually told the officer he had been drinking five to seven Miller Lite beers.
The not guilty plea was reported earlier by the Wall Street Journal.
--With assistance from Gerson Freitas Jr..
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