Federal prosecutors charged a bodyguard assigned to protect the family of Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy with major drug-trafficking offenses.
Authorities arrested Justin Salsburey, 43, of Bellefontaine, Ohio, and his wife, Urbana schoolteacher Ruthann Rankin, on Dec. 30, according to local reporting by WSYX-TV. Prosecutors say investigators uncovered a months-long pipeline of suspected narcotics shipments and street-level distribution tied to 261 parcels mailed between August 2024 and December 2025.
Investigators say one intercepted package contained 119 blue counterfeit OxyContin pills that tested positive for fentanyl. After allowing a subsequent parcel to be delivered, agents observed Salsburey and Rankin place items on their porch that multiple people later collected. One recipient told authorities he purchased Adderall from the couple for $5 per pill.
“Vivek and his family take matters of safety seriously and support efforts to hold these individuals accountable for these allegations if they are proven,” Luck said, CW Columbus reported.
Ramaswamy’s office did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
Prosecutors allege Salsburey mailed dozens of additional packages to an address in Middleburg Heights, including shipments containing pills that tested positive for fentanyl and methamphetamine. A search of the couple’s home uncovered large quantities of suspected drugs: 264 grams of blue pills, 938 grams of orange methamphetamine pills, and 19 grams of orange MDMA pills, along with other suspected controlled substances and steroids.
After her arrest, Rankin told investigators she believed the blue pills were benzodiazepines and the orange pills were Adderall. She said her husband initially sold steroids and later expanded into other drugs. Federal court records show both defendants face charges of conspiracy to distribute—or intent to distribute—40 grams or more of substances containing fentanyl and methamphetamine, as well as possession with intent to distribute mixtures containing those drugs.
The private firm that employed him, ARK Protection Group, removed Salsburey from the detail immediately after learning of the arrest. The firm said Salsburey cleared multiple background checks before his hiring, including federal and state screenings and a recent review conducted by Ohio State University Medical Center last September. The company said he passed pre-employment drug testing and random screenings while on the job.
(Featured Image Media Credit: Screen Capture/CSPAN)
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