A Bellefontaine husband and wife are facing federal drug charges following a months-long investigation into suspected drug trafficking activity involving mailed packages, according to court records and media reports.
Justin Salsburey, 43, was arrested last week on federal charges related to the distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine. His wife, Ruthann Rankin, was charged in federal court earlier this week.
Rankin is employed as a middle school teacher with Urbana City Schools, according to published reports.
Investigators say the case began in November 2025 after suspicious packages delivered to a Bellefontaine address were reported to law enforcement. Records indicate that 261 packages were shipped to the residence from locations across the country between August 2024 and December 2025.
Authorities allege some of the packages were mailed using postage purchased through cryptocurrency-based services and were linked to return addresses associated with prior drug seizures in other jurisdictions.
The Central Ohio Major Drug Interdiction Task Force, operating under the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission, assited by Bellefontaine police and Logan County Sheriff’s deputies served a warrant early Tuesday, Dec. 30 at a residence near the intersection of North Elm Street and West Brown Avenue in Bellefontaine.
According to investigators, the search resulted in the discovery of large quantities of pills and other substances that tested positive for fentanyl, methamphetamine, MDMA (commonly known as ecstasy), and suspected steroids, among other controlled substances.
Additional reporting indicates that surveillance and evidence collected prior to the search supported allegations of ongoing drug trafficking activity connected to the residence.
Salsburey was booked into the Franklin County Jail, where he remains in custody pending trial.
Rankin was charged on Monday. A future court date has not yet been set.
According to the Urbana Daily Citizen, court records indicate investigators conducted surveillance and observed Rankin placing an object inside a cooler. Authorities later watched a man retrieve the item from the cooler. During a subsequent search, investigators reportedly located a nicotine pouch container inside the cooler containing approximately 13 grams of pills, which later tested positive for methamphetamine.
Investigators also reported finding additional pouches inside Rankin’s purse containing similar pills, along with her Urbana City Schools identification badge.
The Urbana Daily Citizen further reported that Rankin told investigators she assisted her husband by placing steroids and orange pills laced with methamphetamine — which she claimed she believed were Adderall — into her mailbox for individuals to retrieve. She also reportedly stated that pills later testing positive for fentanyl were believed by her to be benzodiazepines.
According to investigators, Rankin admitted she had been placing vials of steroids and pills in either the mailbox or cooler several times a week over the past six months, allegedly at the direction of Salsburey. She also told authorities that her husband initially began selling steroids before expanding into the sale of other illegal drugs.
The couple only recently married last Aug. 9, according to their Facebook posts shared during happier times.
