A former member of Ohio governor candidate Vivek Ramaswamy's security detail was arrested last week alongside his wife on drug trafficking charges.
Justin Salsburey, 43, and Ruthann Salsburey, 38, of Bellefontaine, were charged in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and possess with intent to distribute a detectable amount of fentanyl and methamphetamine. Justin Salsburey worked for ARK Protection, which leads Ramaswamy's security detail while Salsburey's wife works for Urbana City Schools.
Ramaswamy is the leading candidate to win the Republican nomination to run for Ohio governor once current Gov. Mike DeWine's term expires. Ramaswamy will likely face Democrat Amy Acton, a former state health director who served under DeWine.
According to a criminal complaint and affidavit filed Dec. 29, a U.S. Postal Inspection Service inspector working for the USPIS Narcotics and Money Laundering team in Columbus received information from the Logan County Sheriff's Office about its investigation into Salsburey. The sheriff's office found Salsburey was receiving bulk narcotics at his home.
The affidavit said investigators reviewed about 261 parcels sent to the Salsbureys' home around the U.S. that were addressed to the couple. The affidavit also alleged Salsburey used cryptocurrency to pay for some of the postage through a cryptocurrency website, which it says appeals to shippers who traffic in controlled substances like drugs purchased on the dark web.
Later, the investigator obtained warrants from U.S. District Court to search multiple parcels sent to Salsburey. Inside the parcels were 119 grams of blue pills that tested positive for fentanyl which were consistent with counterfeit oxycontin and more than 4,000 grams of methamphetamine.
Investigators tracked Salsburey using GPS tracking devices and observed him and his wife handling the packages. The affidavit also warned authorities to be careful if they arrested Salsburey because he worked for a security firm and likely owned firearms.
Connie Luck, a spokesperson for Ramaswamy's campaign, said in a statement Ramaswamy's family was alarmed and disturbed by the news.
"Upon being informed of this matter in recent days, the outside security firm immediately removed the individual from the security detail," Luck said.
ARK Protection did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Luck said prior to employment that Salsburey cleared multiple background checks conducted by the security company, as well as FBI and BCI background checks, which were most recently conducted by OSU Medical Center in September.
Luck said the security firm subjects all security personnel to pre-employment drug screenings and random drug testing throughout employment, and Salsburey never failed a drug screening.
"Vivek and his family take matters of safety seriously and support efforts to hold these individuals accountable for these allegations if they are proven. Further questions should be directed to the outside security firm," Luck said.
Acton's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Under new guidelines from the Ohio Elections Commission established last year, political candidates can use campaign funds for personal security expenses.
Ramaswamy's campaign paid ARK Protection Group $32,604 in 2025 for security services, according to campaign finance reports.
