WILMINGTON, N.C. (WGHP) — Warrants are shedding more light on the arrest of a now-former elections official out of Surry County this week.
Wilmington Police Department announced that on Tuesday they arrested James Edwin Yokeley and charged him with felony child abuse, possession of a controlled substance and contaminating food with a controlled substance.
The charges stem from an August 8 encounter where Yokeley reportedly flagged down an officer at a Wilmington Sheetz and told him he’d found something in his grandchildren’s ice cream.
Two pills were found and medical professionals determined the children had not ingested anything.
Video footage reportedly showed Yokeley putting the pills in the children’s food, according to the Wilmington Police Department.
Warrants state that Yokeley “unlawfully, willfully, and feloniously did intentionally inflict serious physical injury, placing blue pressed pill containing MDMA, cocaine into blizzard drink being consumed by victim” while acting as their guardian for the weekend.
Yokeley was selected by Dave Boliek to lead the Surry County Board of Elections in June. Boliek demanded Yokeley’s resignation on Thursday morning, calling the allegations “very disturbing” and stating “our office is built on holding individuals accountable.” Just after noon on Thursday, the state auditor’s office announced that he had resigned as of 11:44 a.m.
“As I had called for, the Chair of the Surry County Board of Elections has resigned. With his resignation, the Surry County Board and State Board can now, without distraction, move forward with the process of appointing a replacement.”
On Wednesday, the Surry County Board of Elections had released the following statement:
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.
Emily Mikkelsen
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