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A North Carolina election official was arrested for allegedly placing illegal narcotics into ice cream his step-granddaughter and her friend were consuming.
James Yokeley Jr., who served as a chairman of the Surry County Board of Elections, resigned following his arrest.
“James Yokeley Jr. was charged with child abuse, possession of a controlled substance, and contaminating food with a controlled substance. The incident took place earlier this month when two teen girls found pills in their ice cream,” Collin Rugg wrote.
NEW: A North Carolina county elections chair accused of putting cocaine and MDMA in his granddaughter’s Dairy Queen Blizzard.
James Yokeley Jr. was charged with child abuse, possession of a controlled substance, and contaminating food with a controlled substance.
The incident… pic.twitter.com/8rNqQexCAw
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) August 29, 2025
CBS News shared the following details:
James Yokeley Jr. flagged down an officer at a Sheetz gas station in Surry County, North Carolina, on Aug. 8, the Wilmington Police Department said. Yokeley told the officer that his two granddaughters, who were not identified, had found pills in ice creams purchased at a nearby Dairy Queen, according to a police statement released Wednesday.
The girls had not ingested any of the substances, the police department said. Preliminary field tests determined the pills were illegal narcotics. The pills were later determined to contain MDMA and cocaine, according to a warrant reviewed by CBS affiliate WGHP.
An investigation was opened. Police reviewed video footage that allegedly showed Yokeley, 66, placing the pills in the ice creams. He had been acting as the girls’ guardian for the weekend, WGHP reported.
Police did not share a possible motive. The investigation is ongoing, the department said.
“Wilmington Police Lieutenant Greg Willett clarified in a press conference Friday that the incident actually occurred on Aug. 3 and that the two juveniles were a step-granddaughter and her friend,” WRAL News noted.
Dairy Queen has not been accused of any wrongdoing in the matter.
Yokeley was transported to the New Hanover County Detention Center and posted a $100,000 secured bond.
There were immediate calls for Yokeley to step down from his position.
What a horrible thing to do. pic.twitter.com/J7RS6Fhm3u
— Libby Emmons (@libbyemmons) August 29, 2025
WRAL News explained:
In June, Yokeley, a Republican, was selected by State Auditor Dave Boliek to serve as chairman of the Surry County Board of Elections.
On Thursday, a day after news outlets picked up the story, Boliek called for Yokeley’s resignation.
“The arrest and investigation of the Surry County Board of Elections Chair is very disturbing. This matter distracts from election management in Surry County and must be addressed quickly and directly,” said Boliek. “Our office is built on holding individuals accountable. He needs to resign, and Surry County needs a new Board of Elections Chair. If he doesn’t resign, I’ll be requesting the State Board take action today to remove him as Chair.”