WILMINGTON — A man arrested this month in Wilmington for allegedly putting MDMA and cocaine in his grandchildren’s ice cream has resigned from his position on a county board.
READ MORE: Man arrested for allegedly drugging granddaughters’ Dairy Queen
On Thursday, James “Jimmy” Yokeley Jr. turned in his resignation letter as chair for the Surry County Board of Elections, according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections.
“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 falsely accused circumstances, to step down at this time,” Yokeley wrote.
The 66-year-old served on the BOE since 2023 but was appointed chair in June by State Auditor Dave Boliek, who nominated the majority of Republicans to lead county boards across North Carolina, switching most from a Democratic majority. A law that passed last year in Senate Bill 382 stripped the governor’s power to appoint the chair of the 100 county boards.
Boliek responded to Yokeley’s arrest Thursday, asking 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,” Boliek wrote in a statment. “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 state board will appoint a new Surry County elections chair after receiving two nominations from the state Republican Party, according to a press release.
In his resignation letter, Yokeley said he remains “prayerfully confident” he will be exonerated, as the case’s “truth and facts” come to light.
Wilmington police arrested Yokeley on contamination of food or drink with a controlled substance, felony child abuse and felony possession of schedule I narcotics. Law enforcement obtained video of Yokeley putting blue pills in his grandchildren’s Dairy Queen Blizzards, according to their investigation.
On Aug. 8, 2025, during patrol a Wilmington police officer was flagged down by Yokeley at the Sheetz gas station at 2517 Shipyard Blvd. WPD noted in its release Wednesday that Yokeley informed the officer his two juvenile granddaughters had found two pills in their frozen treats.
The pills collected had preliminary field tests conducted showing the presence of illegal narcotics, including MDMA and cocaine. They have since been sent to a lab for testing.
The two juveniles were checked out by a medical professional and deemed safe, having not ingested the substances.
Yokeley was arrested and put in the New Hanover County Detention Center with a $100,000 secured bond.
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