by Misty Severi
A bodyguard for billionaire and Republican Ohio gubernatorial hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy’s family was arrested recently on drug-trafficking charges, according to a criminal complaint reviewed by Newsweek on Thursday.
Prosecutors claimed Justin Salsburey and his wife Ruthann Rankin received over 250 packages containing drugs between August 2024 and December 2025, and a search of the couple’s home allegedly found 264 grams of blue fentanyl pills, 938 grams of methamphetamine pills, and 19 grams of MDMA.
Salsburey (pictured above), who was hired and placed on Ramaswamy’s detail through a private firm, was removed from the candidate’s team immediately after his arrest last week. He and his wife have been charged with conspiracy to distribute or intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a substance containing fentanyl and methamphetamine.
The couple were also charged with possession with intent to distribute a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and methamphetamine.
“Vivek’s family contracts with a private security firm for protective services and was alarmed to hear this disturbing news,” Ramaswamy’s campaign spokesperson Connie Luck told Newsweek. “Upon being informed of this matter in recent days, the outside security firm immediately removed the individual from the security detail.
“Vivek and his family take matters of safety seriously and support efforts to hold these individuals accountable for these allegations if they are proven,” she added.
The campaign said that before his arrest and placement on Ramaswamy’s security detail, Salsburey passed multiple FBI and state background checks, along with drug screenings and random testing.
Ramaswamy is the favorite to win the Republican primary for the Ohio gubernatorial race. He is expected to face Amy Acton, who is the favorite to win the Democratic primary.
An Emerson College poll in December showed Ramswamy trailing Acton by 1 percentage point.
This week, Ramaswamy chose Rob McColley, Ohio’s Senate president, as his running mate for the gubernatorial race.
“I’m excited to announce Rob McColley as my running mate to be the next lieutenant governor of Ohio,” said Ramaswamy. “I’m an entrepreneur, not a politician, and selected Rob to be a governing partner who can help advance our ambitious legislative agenda. Rob is a proven conservative leader, and he is committed to my vision to make the American Dream a reality for every Ohioan.”
– – –
Misty Severi is a reporter for Just the News. Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of The Star News Network and contributed to this story.
