A North Carolina man, who also holds the position of a local election board leader, was recently apprehended on allegations of attempting to drug his two young granddaughters. James E. Yokeley Jr., 66, was taken into custody and is facing several felony charges, including tainting food or drink with a controlled substance, child abuse, and possession of a Schedule I narcotic.
The incident occurred on August 8 when Yokeley stopped a patrolling officer at a Sheetz gas station in Wilmington. He informed the officer that his granddaughters had found two hard objects in their ice cream, which they had purchased from a nearby Dairy Queen. Emergency medical staff were promptly dispatched to the location to assess the children. They concluded that neither child had ingested any of the substances discovered in the ice cream.
The Wilmington Police Department collected the two pills for examination. Initial field tests suggested that the pills were illegal narcotics. The pills have since been forwarded to a state lab for more comprehensive analysis. Preliminary tests indicated that the pills contained cocaine and MDMA, a substance commonly referred to as “molly.”
Despite Yokeley’s initial report, investigators unearthed evidence suggesting that he was the one who had attempted to drug the children. Video footage from the investigation showed that Yokeley had inserted the pills into the ice cream. After his arrest, Yokeley was transported to the New Hanover County Detention Center for processing. He was subsequently released after posting a $100,000 secured bond.
The investigation into the incident is still in progress. Yokeley, a Republican, was appointed by State Auditor Dave Boliek in June to serve as the chair of the Surry County Board of Elections. His term is scheduled to run until 2027.
The North Carolina State Board of Elections and the Surry County Board of Elections have acknowledged the charges against Yokeley. They have committed to continue gathering information about the situation and to provide support to the Surry County board to ensure the continuity of services to the county’s voters.