KINSTON, N.C. (WITN) - A Kinston city council candidate who some say shouldn’t be on the ballot is now in police custody.

Police say Quarla Blackwell turned herself in late this afternoon.

She was wanted for perjury and swearing falsely, all stemming from a formal protest filed September 18th by the chair of the Lenoir County Republican Party, Sean Keenan.

Keenan claimed Blackwell was still on probation when she filed for office on July 14th.

Police say their investigation shows the 51-year-old woman misrepresented her probation status in order to qualify to run for an at-large seat.

They say that by knowingly submitting false information on the election paperwork, she committed perjury.

The arrest came after a three-minute Facebook Live full of expletives in which Blackwell denied

See Full Page