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N.C. Elections Chair Resigns After Arrest Over Alleged Drugging of Granddaughters’ Ice Cream

The state board will appoint a new Surry County chair upon receiving nominations from the Republican Party.

James Edwin Yokeley Jr. of North Carolina is charged with felony child abuse.
An ice cream cone covered in sprinkles at Dairy Queen in Morton, Illinois.
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Overview

  • Police say James Edwin Yokeley Jr., 66, flagged down an officer on Aug. 8 and reported pills in Dairy Queen Blizzards, but surveillance video allegedly shows him placing the pills in the treats.
  • Preliminary field tests indicated cocaine and MDMA, the substances were sent to a state lab for confirmation, and medical personnel determined the two teens did not ingest them.
  • Yokeley was arrested Aug. 26 and charged with contaminating food or drink with a controlled substance, felony child abuse, and possession of a Schedule I narcotic; he posted a $100,000 secured bond after booking at the New Hanover County Detention Center.
  • Following public calls for removal from State Auditor Dave Boliek, Yokeley resigned as Surry County Board of Elections chair while asserting he was falsely accused and expressing confidence in exoneration.
  • The investigation remains active, a court date is set for Sept. 11, and local reports say Yokeley has been ordered to have no contact with the grandchildren involved.