North Carolina official charged with putting drugs in grandchildren's ice cream
James Yokeley (Wilmington Police Department)
A North Carolina elections official resigned this week after he was arrested for reportedly spiking his grandchildren’s ice cream with illegal drugs.
His arrest was confirmed by police in Wilmington.
James Yokeley arrest
What we know: According to the Wilmington Police Department, 66-year-old James Yokeley flagged down a police officer at a gas station on Aug. 8 and said his two granddaughters found two hard objects in ice cream they got at Dairy Queen. The children had not ingested the pills. According to The New York Post, the girls were 15 and 16 years old.
The pills were later determined to be illegal narcotics.
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Investigators later reviewed video footage that showed Yokeley was the one who put the pills in the ice cream. He was arrested on charges of contaminating food with a controlled substance, felony child abuse and possession of a Schedule I narcotic. He was released from jail on a $100,000 bond.
What we don't know:
Police haven’t said what kind of illegal drugs they were.
Yokeley was an elections official
Dig deeper:
According to the Surry County Board of Elections, Yokeley was chairman of the board before his arrest. He has since resigned. According to The New York Post, Yokeley previously ran for a seat on the Surry County Board of Education as a Republican, but he lost that election.
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In his resignation letter obtained by NBC News, Yokeley denied the accusations.
What they're saying:
"This decision has not been made lightly," Yokeley wrote. "After much prayer, thoughtful reflection and consultation, I have concluded that it’s in the best interest of the State Board of Elections and Surry County Board of Elections, regarding my own false accused circumstances, to step down at this time.
"Based on the truth and facts, I remain prayerfully confident that I will be exonerated of all accusations levied against me," he continued.
The Source: This report includes information from the Wilmington Police Department, the Surry County Board of Elections, NBC News and The New York Post.