Vivek Ramaswamy’s family bodyguard arrested on drug smuggling charges

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy expressed concern that a man who worked as his family’s bodyguard faces federal drug trafficking charges.

Justin Salisbury, 43, of Bellefontaine, and his wife, Ruthanne Rankin, were both charged late last month with conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute large quantities of drugs through the U.S. mail.

Salsbury was working for a private security firm hired by Ramaswamy’s family for protective services, according to campaign spokeswoman Connie Luck. She said ARK Protection Group removed him from the family’s security detail immediately upon learning of the matter.

According to criminal complaints, 261 packages containing OxyContin and other counterfeit pills were delivered to the couple’s western Ohio home between August 2024 and last month. Rankin was fired from her job as a teacher at a school in nearby Urbana, according to a statement released by the district.

Salsbury is being held at the Franklin County Jail in Columbus, according to the facility’s website. Rankin was taken into custody and later released.

“Vivek’s family contracts with a private security company to provide protection services, and I was disturbed to hear this disturbing news,” Luck said in a text message.

She said Salisbury had completed numerous background checks conducted by the security company, the FBI and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation before he was hired. The most recent was conducted by Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in September, she said.

Salsbury also passed a pre-employment drug test and never failed a random drug screen, Luck said. A message left with an attorney who has represented Salisbury in the past was not immediately responded to.

“Vivek and his family take safety matters seriously and support efforts to hold these individuals accountable for these allegations if proven,” Luck said.