Updated: August 29, 2025, 8:19 a.m.
Police in Wilmington arrested the chair of the Surry County Board of Elections this week, accusing him of putting narcotics in his granddaughters' ice cream.
Authorities say James Edwin Yokeley Jr. flagged down officers to tell them about two hard objects the 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 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.
The North Carolina State Board of Elections says Yokeley, a Republican, has resigned. A new Surry County chair will be selected from two nominations by the State GOP.