Tyson Foods Chief Financial Officer John R. Tyson said he was “embarrassed” after his arrest on Sunday following a bizarre incident in which he entered a stranger’s home and passed out in her bed.
Tyson, the 32-year-old heir of the Tyson Foods empire, was charged with public intoxication and criminal trespassing. He is the great-grandson of the company’s founder and was reportedly considered a potential future CEO candidate prior to the arrest.
“I am embarrassed for personal conduct that is inconsistent with my personal values, the company’s values and the high expectations we hold for each other here at Tyson Foods,” Tyson said in a companywide memo obtained by the Associated Press.
“I made a serious mistake and this has caused me to reflect deeply on the impact my actions can have on others,” Tyson added. He indicated he will receive counseling for alcohol abuse.
Tyson joined the family business in 2019 following a stint as an investment banker at JP Morgan. He took over as Tyson Foods’ CFO in September.
The arrest occurred just days before Tyson was slated to speak on the company’s earnings call for the first time as CFO. Tyson Foods is slated to report its quarterly results on Nov. 14.
Tyson was arrested just after 2 a.m. ET on Sunday after a woman came home to discover him asleep in her bed. The woman initially thought her residence was being burglarized and called police.
“A college-age female was very alarmed that a male who she did not know was inside of her residence uninvited,” the police report said, according to local television station KNWA.
Local police found Tyson’s clothes at the foot of the bed and identified him by his driver’s license. Responding officers tried to wake Tyson up, but he wasn’t verbally responsive and tried to go back to sleep.
Officers said that Tyson appeared “sluggish and uncoordinated” and smelled of alcohol during the arrest. He was released on bond and is slated for a court appearance on Dec. 1.
“We’re aware of the incident and as this is a personal matter, we have no additional comment,” Tyson Foods spokesman Derek Burleson said in a statement on the arrest.
The Post has reached out to Tyson Foods for further comment.
With Post wires
