Police in Wilmington, North Carolina, arrested a now-former state election official accused of drugging ice cream that he gave to two teenage girls.

James Yokeley Jr., 66, got the attention of a Wilmington Police Department officer at a gas station Aug. 3 after hard objects were found in two Dairy Queen ice cream products that the two juvenile girls were eating.

Wilmington police said that one girl was his 16-year-old step-granddaughter and the other was her 15-year-old friend, according to WRAL-TV in Raleigh.

Field testing on the hard objects determined they were pills, specifically narcotics. Neither juvenile consumed any narcotics, the police said, but video footage showed Mr. Yokeley put the pills into the ice cream himself.

Lab testing is still in process on the pills, said Wilmington Police Department public information officer Greg Willett.

Police arrested Mr. Yokeley and took him into custody. He is charged with contaminating food or drink with a controlled substance and felony child abuse.

Mr. Yokeley posted a $100,000 bond and was released.

Mr. Yokeley, a Republican appointee, resigned Thursday as the chair of the Surry County Board of Elections. The North Carolina State Board of Elections said on its website that it will appoint a new Surry County chair as soon as it gets two nominations from the state Republican Party.

“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. Based on the truth and facts, I remain prayerfully confident that I will be exonerated of all accusations levied against me,” Mr. Yokeley wrote in his resignation letter.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.