NC Elections Chair Accused of Tampering with Grandchildren’s Ice Cream

The chair of the Surry County Board of Elections has been arrested after Wilmington police say he placed illegal pills in his granddaughters’ ice cream at a local Dairy Queen.

According to a Wilmington Police Department statement, officers were flagged down on August 8 at the Sheetz gas station on Shipyard Boulevard by James Edwin Yokeley Jr., 66. Yokeley reported that his two juvenile granddaughters had discovered “two hard objects” in the blizzard ice cream they purchased from a nearby Dairy Queen.

Medical personnel determined the children had not ingested the substances. The pills were collected and field-tested as illegal narcotics, with samples sent to the State Crime Lab for confirmation.

Detectives reviewed video footage and determined Yokeley himself had placed the pills in the ice cream. He was arrested and charged with contaminating food or drink with a controlled substance and felony child abuse. Yokeley was transported to the New Hanover County Detention Center and later released on a $100,000 secured bond.

“This is still an ongoing investigation,” Wilmington police said in their release.

Yokeley’s role as chair of the Surry County Board of Elections has drawn statewide attention. In a joint statement, the State Board of Elections and Surry County Board said:

“The State Board of Elections and Surry County Board of Elections are aware of the charges against Mr. Yokeley, the chair of the Surry County Board of Elections. We will 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.”