A shocking incident at a North Carolina Dairy Queen has left a small community reeling. James Edwin Yokeley, a 66-year-old Republican and former chair of the Surry County Board of Elections, faces serious charges after allegedly tampering with his granddaughters’ ice cream. This scandal raises questions about trust in public officials.
The Daily Mail reported that on August 8, 2025, Yokeley was caught on camera dropping two pills into the ice creams of his 15- and 16-year-old granddaughters. The girls, thankfully, did not consume the contaminated treats.
Authorities later confirmed the pills contained cocaine and MDMA, known on the streets as “molly.” Yokeley’s initial claim to the police was that the girls found “two hard objects” in their Dairy Queen purchase.
Security footage, however, told a different story, showing him deliberately placing the substances in the ice cream. His attempt to shift blame unraveled faster than a progressive talking point.
The Wilmington Police Department didn’t buy Yokeley’s story. He was charged with contaminating food with controlled substances, felony possession of schedule 1 narcotics, and felony child abuse. These are not lightweight accusations; they carry the weight of betrayed familial trust.
After his arrest, Yokeley posted a $100,000 bond and walked free, pending trial. The Dairy Queen, cleared of any wrongdoing, continues to serve its community without fault. One wonders if Yokeley’s granddaughters will ever look at a sundae the same way again.
Yokeley’s resignation from the Surry County Board of Elections came weeks later, on a Thursday. In his letter, he claimed his decision followed “much prayer” and was in the board’s best interest due to his “falsely accused circumstances.” Sounds like someone’s praying for a miracle in court, too.
Yokeley wasn’t just any board member; he was appointed in July 2023 and rose to chair in 2025. His tenure, though brief, was marked by vocal anti-vaccine rhetoric and claims of fraud in the 2020 election. These stances, while resonating with some conservatives, now cast a shadow over his credibility.
The North Carolina State Board of Elections responded with measured professionalism. They acknowledged the charges and promised support to ensure Surry County’s voters are served. It’s a diplomatic way of saying, “We’re cleaning up your mess, Jim.”
The incident itself is a gut punch to conservative values. Family, trust, and personal responsibility are pillars of the movement, yet Yokeley’s alleged actions spit in the face of all three. If true, this isn’t just a crime; it’s a betrayal of everything the right claims to stand for.
Why would a grandfather do this? The facts don’t provide a motive, leaving room for speculation but demanding restraint. Whatever his reasons, the idea of endangering one’s own kin with hard drugs is as baffling as it is horrifying.
The surveillance footage is damning. It shows Yokeley’s deliberate act, contradicting his tale of mysterious objects in the ice cream. In an era where cameras are everywhere, one might think people would stop trying to outsmart the lens.
The girls’ safety is the silver lining here. They didn’t ingest the drugs, sparing them physical harm but likely leaving emotional scars. One can only imagine the confusion and betrayal they felt upon learning the truth.
Yokeley’s political history adds another layer of complexity. His anti-vaccine and election fraud claims aligned him with a vocal segment of the MAGA base. But actions like these risk tainting the movement’s image, giving critics ammunition to paint conservatives as reckless.
The conservative ethos demands accountability, not excuses. Yokeley’s resignation letter, with its talk of “false accusations,” feels like a dodge rather than a reckoning. If he’s innocent, the courtroom is his chance to prove it—not a letter to the board.