Police in Wilmington arrested the chair of the Surry County Board of Elections this week, accusing him of putting narcotics in his grandaughters’ ice cream.
Authorities say James Edwin Yokeley Jr. flagged down officers to tell them about two hard objects the young girls found in orders they had picked up from a Dairy Queen.
Two pills were collected and field tested. Investigators determined they were illegal narcotics.
Neither child had ingested any of the substance. Investigators looked at video footage and determined Yokeley had placed the pills in the ice cream.
Yokeley has been charged with contaminating food with a controlled substance and felony child abuse. He has since posted bond.
The Surry County Board of Elections released a statement saying that both state and local officials are aware of the charges and will continue to gather information to ensure the board is able to continue serving the county’s voters.