The Daily Populous Saturday January 10th, 2026 morning edition
Authored by apnews.com and submitted by Adamnsin

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

Justin Salsburey, 43, of Bellefontaine, and his wife, Ruthann Rankin, were each charged late last month with conspiracy and possession with the intent to distribute large amounts of narcotics through the U.S. mail.

Salsburey was employed by a private security firm hired by the Ramaswamys for protective services, according to campaign spokesperson Connie Luck. She said that ARK Protection Group removed him from the family’s security detail immediately upon learning of the matter.

According to the criminal complaints, 261 parcels containing counterfeit OxyContin and other pills were delivered to the couple’s western Ohio home between August 2024 and last month. Rankin has been removed from her employment as a schoolteacher in nearby Urbana, according to a statement posted by the district.

Salsburey is being held in the Franklin County jail in Columbus, according to the facility’s website. Rankin was held and later released.

“Vivek’s family contracts with a private security firm for protective services and was alarmed to hear this disturbing news,” Luck said in a text.

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She said that Salsburey had cleared multiple background checks run by the security company, the FBI and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation prior to his employment. The most recent one was conducted by Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center in September, she said.

Salsburey also passed a pre-employment drug test and never failed a random drug screening, Luck said. A message left with an attorney who represented Salsburey in the past was not immediately returned.

“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.

HousingOk6362 on January 9th, 2026 at 20:31 UTC »

Reminds me of that time, our current President's former personal helicopter pilot and business partner was convicted of trafficking ecstacy and cocaine, during the height of his child raping years with Epstein.

*Thank you for the award.

The_Peeping_Peter on January 9th, 2026 at 20:30 UTC »

Breaking news, republican Vivek Ramaswamy has a serious connection to a recent drug trafficking arrest. Could Vivek be connected to a major criminal drug operation?

Would probably be the headline if it was a Democrat bodyguard

supercyberlurker on January 9th, 2026 at 20:03 UTC »

You know when a roadie for a band gets arrested for drug trafficking... and the band pretends to be surprised?