New Hanover County, NC — A 66-year-old man has been arrested after allegedly placing drugs in Dairy Queen Blizzards given to his two granddaughters, according to the Wilmington Police Department (WPD).
Police say James Yokeley flagged down an officer at a Sheetz gas station on Aug. 8, claiming the children had found two pills inside the ice cream purchased from the Dairy Queen on Oleander Drive.
Medical personnel checked the juveniles and confirmed they did not ingest any substances. However, field tests revealed the blue pressed pills contained MDMA and cocaine.
During the investigation, surveillance footage allegedly showed Yokeley placing the pills into the Blizzards before giving them to the children.
Yokeley faces multiple charges, including:
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Two counts of felony contaminating food or drink with a controlled substance
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Felony child abuse
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Felony possession of Schedule I narcotics
He appeared in court on Aug. 27, waived his right to a court-appointed attorney, and was ordered not to contact the two children.
Yokeley, who was appointed chair of the Surry County Board of Elections in June, is now under scrutiny. The North Carolina State Board of Elections released a statement saying it is monitoring the situation and will support the Surry County board to ensure uninterrupted service to voters.
The WPD confirmed the investigation remains ongoing.
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