The state auditor is calling for the immediate resignation of a county elections board chair who was arrested after video appeared to show James Yokely putting MDMA pills – an illegal stimulant also called Molly or Ecstasy – in his grandchildren’s ice cream.
Officers with the Wilmington Police Department charged Yokely, the Surry County Board of Elections Chairman, with felony child abuse, possession of a controlled substance and contaminating food with a controlled substance.
Investigators said Yokely flagged down an officer at a Wilmington Sheetz in early August and told him he’d found something in his grandchildren’s ice cream, which had been purchased at a nearby Dairy Queen. Two pills were found, but medical professionals determined the children had not ingested anything.
Video footage, though, apparently showed Yokeley putting the pills in the Blizzard, and field testing showed the blue pressed pill contained MDMA.
Yokeley was selected by North Carolina State Auditor Dave Boliek to lead the Surry County Board of Elections in June. He has now called for his resignation.
“The arrest and investigation of the Surry County Board of Elections Chair is very disturbing. This matter distracts from election management in Surry County and must be addressed quickly and directly,” said Boliek. “Our office is built on holding individuals accountable. He needs to resign, and Surry County needs a new Board of Elections Chair. If he doesn’t resign, I’ll be requesting the State Board take action today to remove him as Chair.”
The Surry County Board of Elections said members are aware of the charges against Yokeley, and “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.”
