Mecklenburg County, North Carolina commissioner says outstanding arrest warrant from 2025 is a ‘misunderstanding’
Commissioner calls situation a ‘politically motivated attack’ as primary elections get underway
Mecklenburg County, North Carolina Commissioner Yvette Townsend-Ingram on Wednesday told WBTV that the news about her outstanding arrest warrant was just a misunderstanding.
On Tuesday, Feb. 10, WBTV reported that there was a warrant out for Commissioner Ingram’s arrest in connection with a DWI charge from 2024. The arrest happened in May 2024, and Ingram pleaded guilty in October 2024.
Court records reviewed by WBTV showed that Ingram allegedly failed to comply with the community service requirements of her plea deal in Gaston County, North Carolina. She was reportedly required to complete 24 hours of community service within 60 days as part of her plea deal.
An order for her arrest was issued in February 2025, according to the records.
In a letter to WBTV on Wednesday, Feb. 11, Commissioner Ingram said that she did complete her community service, and that the situation was all a misunderstanding.
“What I failed to do is report it appropriately, because I could never reach the Mecklenburg County, North Carolina representative I was permitted to report to,” Ingram said in a statement to WBTV. “I do have documented evidence of my community service hours.”
Ingram said she completed most of her 24 hours of community service before she was sworn in as a county commissioner. She also said she fulfilled required “alcohol/drug rehab classes” that were court mandated following her guilty plea.
Ingram says she wasn’t driving at time of DWI
In her letter to WBTV’s Dedrick Russell, Ingram said she was not driving when she was charged with DWI, which means driving while intoxicated.
“I was advised to plead guilty by my attorney at the time to a DWI because the police, who were called to perform a welfare check on me and found me in a parked car asleep, with the engine running because of the May heat with an open container of alcohol,” Ingram wrote. “I was arrested for a DWI as a result. I was never driving.”
The county commissioner said that at the time of her arrest, she was dealing with a “mental health crisis” after “losing six family members consecutively,” including her mother.
“I am not careless, irresponsible or unaccountable as a few would imply,” Ingram wrote in her letter.
Commissioner calls situation a ‘politically motivated attack’
The news of Commissioner Ingram’s alleged outstanding arrest warrant came as voting gets underway in North Carolina for the 2026 primary elections.
Ingram, who was elected to office in 2024, is running for re-election this year as an at-large commissioner candidate for Mecklenburg County.
Absentee ballots were already mailed out to eligible voters in the state, and early in-person voting was set to begin on Thursday, Feb. 12. Due to the timing of the news about Ingram, the commissioner called the situation a “politically motivated attack.”
“I am confident this offense and attack on me will be resolved, but not likely before the March 3, 2026 Primary Election, which is why I believe this attack has surfaced now after languishing for more than one year,” Ingram wrote.
The order for Ingram’s arrest was issued on Feb. 5, 2025, according to court records.
Ingram said Wednesday that she was not informed of the arrest order by Gaston County Police, who carried out the arrest, nor was she informed by her former attorney.
The commissioner said she hired a new attorney in hopes of resolving the situation.
In her letter, Ingram thanked her colleagues, friends, and community for treating her with kindness, respect, and for showing “how very much I am valued in this community.”
You can read the full letter below:
“Mr. Russell I first want to thank you for your professionalism, integrity, and fairness in contacting me to get my side of the story and the context of what I believe is a politically motivated attack. I also want to thank my Mecklenburg County colleagues and especially our hardworking staff who have supported me and treated me with kindness and respect. Lastly, I want to thank the many friends, community leaders, and supporters who have reached out to me personally to show how very much I am valued in this community. My supporters far outnumber those who would believe hurtful and misleading information about my character and my work in the community.”
“There are two things I want the public to know, especially those civic-minded voters who will go to the polls to vote beginning February 12, 2026. First, I was advised to plead guilty by my attorney at the time to a DWI because the police, who were called to perform a welfare check on me and found me in a parked car asleep, with the engine running because of the May heat with an open container of alcohol. I was arrested for a DWI as a result. I was never driving. As a matter-of-fact, I was in the midst of a mental health crisis after losing six family members consecutively, including my mom.”
“Secondly, I did fulfill all the required alcohol/drug rehab classes and the 24 community service hours per court mandate. Most of the 24 hours were completed prior to my swearing-in on December 2, 2024, so as not to conflate my community service with my county work. What I failed to do is report it appropriately because I could never reach the Mecklenburg County representative I was permitted to report to. I do have documented evidence of my community service hours.”
“I learned about the OFA from an email sent to me by a local reporter on February 3, 2026. I was not sent this information by Gaston County Police or my former attorney when the warrant was issued more than one year ago in February 2025. I have retained new counsel who is helping me to resolve the issue. I am not careless, irresponsible or unaccountable as a few would imply. I am confident this offense and attack on me will be resolved, but not likely before the March 3, 2026 Primary Election, which is why I believe this attack has surfaced now after languishing for more than one year.”
“Thanks again for your fairness and integrity in reporting the news, which is so critically important during these polarizing and tumultuous times. Please be sure to remind our community that early voting in Mecklenburg County is February 12-28, 2026, and the Primary Election is March 3, 2026.”
_
About Post Author
