(Bloomberg) -- Tyson Foods Inc.’s heir John R. Tyson pleaded guilty to drunken driving and other charges after his arrest in June, agreeing to pay a fine but avoiding additional jail time.
The great-grandson of the meat empire’s founder was sentenced to pay a total of $960 in fines and fees and 32 hours of public service, according to a district court docket. His sentence of 90 days in jail was suspended as part of a plea deal, according to prosecutors in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
John Tyson was immediately suspended as chief financial officer after being pulled over in June when a police officer observed his sports utility vehicle speeding and striking a curb in Fayetteville. He was permanently removed from the role two months later.
The incident, his second arrest related to public intoxication, raised further questions about the future of the 34-year-old executive at the company, where he had been considered a potential successor to Chief Executive Officer Donnie King in a position that has historically been held by family members.
The meat producer chose Curt Calaway, a long-standing Tyson Foods employee, to replace John as CFO. The company said in August that John Tyson remains with the company but was on “health-related leave.”
Only a few months after being named CFO in 2022, John Tyson gained national attention when a woman found him asleep in her home in northwestern Arkansas, leading to charges of public intoxication and criminal trespass. At the time, the executive pleaded guilty and paid a fine, receiving support from the board of directors.
The company didn’t reply to a request for comment.
Tyson Foods was little changed as of 11:28 a.m. in New York. The stock has gained 11% this year as the company benefits from a rebound in chicken profits.
(Updates with share move. A previous version of this story was corrected to reflect guilty plea.)
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