NC - NC county elections chair accused of putting cocaine, MDMA in granddaughters' ice cream.

[Centaurus]

NC county election official resigns after charges in Wilmington

A man charged with putting dangerous pills in the ice cream of two teen girls in Wilmington has stepped down as a county election official.

www.starnewsonline.com

So, of course, taking no responsibility.

They never do.

 

[Kemug]

He was a step grandfather to the one young lady. So not related by blood to either victim. I am going with the nefarious motive now.

He'll probably use "not related" as part of his defence.

 

[Kemug]

"According to WPD, on Aug. 3, the two teens discovered the pills in their ice cream while in the car with Yokeley. The teen who was driving pulled into a Sheetz parking lot, where they located paramedics.

The paramedics checked the girls before flagging down police in the area."

So when the girls found them, they couldn't be sure themselves that they hadn't already swallowed some. Meanwhile I suppose dear old Gramps was acting all shocked and concerned.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

If he was not the one who brought it to anyones attention, in my opinion that does change things. but only a little bit.

I firstly assumed the reason he might have done it was to get a payout from Dairy Queen.

But that still could be the case. He may have had no intention of the girls eating the drugs and wanted the girls to be the ones who contacted someone about it.

He could have crushed up the tablets or used some dissolved drugs if he wanted to sedate the girls without them knowing.

The very fact that the tablets were visible points me in the direction of money is behind this.

I would be looking into his finances.

 

[Kemug]

I am wondering what his background may turn out to be. Did he have children of his own, and let's say, "not treat them properly"? And would they have been aware of it anyway? Does he have other grand/stepgrand children? Or he a man who married a lady with a family? There must be other stuff surely, IMO. He's a bit old to be a beginner.

 

[Kemug]

The very fact that the tablets were visible points me in the direction of money is behind this.

I would be looking into his finances.

You might be right Toots, but don't forget he apparently had no trouble posting $100,000 bail.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Oh yes, the bail.
But maybe he borrowed that.
Maybe he could still be in trouble financially.

And it has happened that some people who actually didn't "need" more money in the opinion of others were actually greedy people and no amount was ever enough.

 

[bombardier]

I think if he wanted a lawsuit and payout from DQ, pills as a choice of tamper object are kind of a strange choice. Off the top of my noggin', memorable items found in food that got lots of press (and perhaps yielded a financial payout, cant remember) include the wendys chili's finger, a compressed mouse found in a bag of sandwich bread, fried rat? and i think a fried roosters head? in a fried chicken bucket, sugared worms found in sealed bag of mini wheats, etc. I just think that viscerally disgusting or unsanitary things are more believable to make their way into food products. but hey, who knows, maybe this guy just so happened to have pills on hand, or wanted to do something unconventional, or

 

[TootsieFootsie]

I don't think he thought it through very well if he was seen on camera doing it.

 

[Kemug]

It could be not about a payout, but just a grudge - revenge for some perceived insult.

 

[Quill]

That is terrifying and certainly a possibility.

But if the granddaughters discovered the pills, the grandfather didn't have to alert police. He could've just thrown everything away and gone somewhere else for ice cream. He purposely called attention to the pills, and that's why I think he was targeting the DQ employees for some unknown reason.

I still want to know where Pops got the pills.

jmopinion

I mean, If I legit found identifiable pills in my DQ Blizzard, I'm calling the cops. I have no idea what HE was up (kind of scared to find out) but any one who ever finds pills or foreign objects in their purchased food should contact someone. I found a metal clasp/hook in my BK fries once many years ago. It had come off the fryer. But it was alarming because I had just given my young child a serving. Thank goodness we were eating it at home and I heard the "clink" of metal when I put the fries on my plate. Given the circumstances I only contacted the manager of my local BK and they were appreciative of me for letting them know. It was truly an accident. But if I found pills or something else like that? Nah, I'm calling the cops. Post haste.

Obviously, this man has some serious issues, especially if they have him on video putting them in the ice cream. I want to know where he got the pills and does he have more hidden somewhere?

 

[Inthedetails]

More details about what was observed on video, bbm

“He can be seen placing something on the counter,” Willett said recently during a press conference to discuss the case. “It’s pretty apparent when the employees make the drinks, he’s trying to observe if anyone is observing him….and that’s when the items are placed in the Blizzards.”

Willett explained that Yokeley had come into the Dairy Queen shortly before its 10 p.m. closing time on Aug. 3, ordering two Blizzards. They were for his 16-year-old step-granddaughter and her 15-year-old friend, both of whom had remained in his car while he went into the restaurant to place the order. The Wilmington police had earlier reported the teens were both his granddaughters, but corrected that during the press conference.


And as for his political position:

Yokeley was a member of the Surry County Board of Elections, and in June State Auditor Dave Boliek appointed him to the chairman’s post of that local body.

It is not clear at this point if that appointment should have been made — to serve in that position, Yokeley would have to have his primary residency in Surry County.

Willett said during his press conference that Yokeley is a resident of New Hanover County.

Police: Video shows Yokeley putting drugs in food

New details have emerged in the case of the former chairman of the Surry County Board of Elections being charged after allegedly slipping illegal narcotics into the food of his

www.mtairynews.com

 

[sds71]

James E. Yokeley Jr. resigned as chairman of the Surry County Board of Elections in August following his arrest on felony charges, but court documents spanning more than a decade raise questions about whether he was eligible to serve on the board.

Public records show Yokeley consistently listed a Wilmington address in New Hanover County on official documents while claiming Surry County residency for voting and election purposes.

Most significantly, in November 2022, Yokeley filed a sworn affidavit in an election protest claiming he “currently resides at 604 Pine Street, Dobson, NC 27017.” The document was notarized in New Hanover County, where Wilmington is located.

North Carolina election law requires board of elections members to be registered voters in the county they serve. Board members also must meet residency requirements to vote in local elections

Former Surry County elections chairman's residency questioned

James E. Yokeley Jr. resigned as chairman of the Surry County Board of Elections in August following his arrest on felony charges, but court documents spanning more than a decade

www.mtairynews.com

 

[sds71]

Hearings​

04/02/2026​

Disposition Hearing (9:00 AM)
Resource: Location 640-0302 New Hanover Co. Courthouse, Courtroom 302
09/11/2025 Reset by Court to 04/02/2026
Created:
08/27/2025 1:58 PM

08/27/2025​

First Appearance Hearing (2:00 PM)
BONDED 09/11/25 #302
Resource: Location 640-0100 New Hanover Co. Courthouse, Courtroom 100
MINUTES - 08/27/2025

Register of Actions

portal-nc.tylertech.cloud

 

[Megnut]

Grandfather accused of drugging teens’ ice cream now accused of contacting one of the victims

A man accused of drugging teens' ice cream is now accused of trying to contact one of the victims.

www.witn.com

>>>>>Yokeley is still out on bond, but the judge amended the bond conditions to prohibit him from being on or near the victims’ homes or workplace, and ordered electionic monitoring.

 

[sds71]

Their granddaughter took a screenshot of the message and sent it to her grandmother on Sept. 3 asking whether or not the message was written by her.

Jan Yokeley texted back, “I didn’t send that.”

A slightly different picture was painted when Yokeley’s wife was called to the stand.

According to Jan Yokeley, she thought she was responding to an earlier text sent in August, in which her granddaughter asked to meet up and discuss what happened to her.



Mrs. Yokeley told the court she had no intention to hear her granddaughter out, and that’s why she sent that response.

“This woman’s testimony is the most ridiculous thing I ever heard,” Assistant DA Lance Oehrlein said. “It’s clear [Yokeley] sent that text.”

Former Board of Elections chairman charged with felony child abuse faces more legal trouble

The former Surry County Board of Elections Chair, James Edwin Yokeley Jr., who was arrested in July for contaminating his 16-year-old step-granddaughter and her friend’s food with a schedule I controlled substance, was back in court on Tuesday for breaking the conditions of his secured bond...

www.whqr.org

 

[Lisbeth_S]

Mrs. Yokeley told the court she had no intention to hear her granddaughter out, and that’s why she sent that response.

SBM

My gut reaction is that of shock seeing that this lady is protecting her husband, but I can rationalise that denial may be strong especially towards a person you have been with for a long time (if that is indeed the case).

However, it's quite disgusting to see her response: she had no intention of hearing her granddaughter out? I mean, legally you shouldn't speak about the case anyway, but it sounds like a very dismissive and nasty response toward an alleged victim (who btw is her relative and a minor) who you think is reaching out to you, especially when your husband is accused of being the monster who did this to her.
I would probably be mortified and ashamed if I was Jan, but she almost sounds blasé about it.

MOO

 

[Kemug]

That young girl needs to get away from her dreadful family.

 

[katydid23]

Without accusing anybody of anything, MDMA, especially when laced with a strong stimulant like cocaine, can make the person taking it experience a physical high as well as a STRONG lowering of inhibitions. It is often taken at parties and can result in sexual behavior.

BINGO.

It has been known to be used by adults grooming youngsters because it lowers their guard and inhibitions, etc.

I think Grandpa had very bad intentions. IMO

 

[katydid23]

That is terrifying and certainly a possibility.

But if the granddaughters discovered the pills, the grandfather didn't have to alert police. He could've just thrown everything away and gone somewhere else for ice cream.

I think it depends upon how old the girls were. If they were 6, 7 or 8, he could throw out the pills and explain it away.

But if they were 10 12, 13 or more, then he couldn't easily do that. And I think they might have been older because they noticed and recognised the problem. I think that if the girls were old enough to realise it was drugs spiking their shakes, they were probably saying 'Hey, lets go show the police what happened" ---Grandpa had no choice?

He purposely called attention to the pills, and that's why I think he was targeting the DQ employees for some unknown reason.

I still want to know where Pops got the pills.

jmopinion

I don't think it was about targeting DQ. If he made a very public claim about DQ in an effort to sue them, whoever sold him those pills would be blackmailing him, for sure. He'd never get away with that if he won a settlement. IMO