Election Official Accused of Slipping Drugs into Granddaughters' Dairy Queen Blizzards By Ben Brachfeld 14

A North Carolina election official is facing child abuse charges after allegedly slipping drugs into his two granddaughters’ Blizzards from Dairy Queen.

James Yokeley Jr., 66, is charged with felony child abuse, possession of a controlled substance and two counts of contaminating food or drink with a controlled substance.

Police in Wilmington, N.C., said in a statement that Yokeley had flagged down police officers at a gas station on Aug. 8 after his two granddaughters discovered “hard objects” in their Blizzard milkshakes from the Dairy Queen on Oleander Drive.

The blue pills tested positive for cocaine and MDMA, according to an arrest warrant obtained by PEOPLE. Neither of the girls — ages 15 and 16 — ingested the pills, police said.

As detectives investigated, they discovered surveillance video that allegedly showed Yokeley placing the pills into the Blizzards.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

Yokeley was arrested on Aug. 26 and booked into the New Hanover County Detention Center, police said. He posted a $100,000 secured bond that day, court records show.

He has not yet entered a plea, and is due back in court on Sept. 11. His attorney did not immediately return an inquiry from PEOPLE.

Yokeley, a Republican, served as the chair of the Surry County Board of Elections until resigning on Thursday. He was appointed in June to chair the board by State Auditor Dave Boliek, who this week called for Yokeley’s resignation or removal, according to WRAL and the News & Observer.

As the state Board of Elections was set to convene an emergency meeting regarding the situation on Thursday, Yokeley sent a letter to Boliek announcing his intent to resign, a decision he said was not made “lightly” in light of what he called “falsely accused circumstances.”

“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 expressed confidence that he would be “exonerated of all accusations levied against me.”