Ohio
Bodyguards for GOP gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy didn’t have required Ohio licenses
COLUMBUS, Ohio—During several of Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s recent public appearances, he was accompanied by at least two bodyguards who weren’t registered with the state as required by law, a cleveland.com analysis shows.
The revelation comes as the Columbus-area entrepreneur is moving to fire the Ohio company providing his security after one of his family’s bodyguards was arrested on federal drug‑trafficking charges.
Social-media photos posted by ARK Protection Group of Wayne County; Rpm Gazbpda. the company’s owner who describes himself online as Ramaswamy’s “head of security”; and Ramaswamy’s campaign depict at least two men with Ramaswamy’s security detail during recent events who state records show either had an expired Ohio security-guard license or no such license at all.
Under Ohio law, all security personnel – including personal bodyguards – have to be registered with the state and pass a background check, then renew that registration annually.
They also need additional state certification in order to carry pistols, revolvers, or semi-automatic weapons on the job – which, among other things, requires at least 25 hours of firearms training.
If anyone’s caught working a security job without state permission, both they and their employer can face criminal charges, punishable with jail time and fines.
The Ohio Department of Public Safety, which regulates the state’s private security industry, can additionally fine violators $100 for each day they broke the law, as well as put offending security companies out of business.
However, photos posted by ARK Protection Group on Facebook and Instagram showed (and tagged) Christopher Endres at a Ramaswamy speech at the University of Cincinnati on Dec. 1. Other photos show Endres standing alongside Ramaswamy at Turning Point USA event in Phoenix, where Ramaswamy spoke on Dec. 20.
Endres’ state registration with ARK Protection Group expired in February 2024, according to Department of Public Safety spokesman Bret Crow.
The company set its Instagram account to private on Friday.
Photos posted to Ramaswamy’s Instagram account on Jan. 12 show a second bodyguard, Jacob Owens, accompanying the candidate during a visit to Chillicothe. State records show no sign that Owens has ever been registered to work as security (Ohio does not recognize security-guard licenses or registrations from other states).
In an email, Crow stated that neither Endres nor Owens were included in ARK Protection Groups’ roster of private security guards that it submitted to the state.
Crow would neither confirm nor deny that state officials are investigating ARK Protection Group. However, Crow added that a post by D.J. Byrnes on his left-leaning blog, The Rooster, “contains real information.” The Rooster was first to report ARK Protection Group’s employee‑registration issues.
The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com has reached out to Owens for comment. Endres was briefly reached by phone Friday morning but hung up when a Plain Dealer/cleveland.com reporter identified himself.
A third ARK Protection Group bodyguard for Ramaswamy’s family, Justin Salsburey of Bellefontaine, was arrested Dec. 30 on charges that he and his wife received and sold counterfeit OxyContin pills containing fentanyl, as well as Adderall pills. Salsburey’s security guard license expired last June, though it wasn’t immediately clear if he continued to provide security for Ramaswmay beyond then.
In a statement Friday, Ramaswamy campaign spokeswoman Connie Luck didn’t directly answer questions about how Ramaswamy came to hire ARK Protection Group, nor what vetting – if any – he did of the company or its employees before hiring them to protect him and his family.
“The Ramaswamy family’s contract with Ark Protection Group specifies the requirement to comply with all relevant laws and regulations,” Luck stated in response.
Luck added that “in light of last week’s deeply troubling developments,” Ramaswamy and his family have “begun the process of relieving Ark Protection Group of their responsibilities and transitioning to a new service provider,” Luck stated.
When Luck was asked whether the “troubling developments” only involved news of Salsburey’s arrest, she replied, “This decision was set in motion following last week’s developments.”
Luck also provided a statement from Gazboda stating that he and his company “are sorry to have disappointed the Ramaswamy family.
“Their safety and protection remain our utmost priority, and we are supporting them as they transition to a new security service provider,” Gazboda says in the statement.
The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com has reached out to Gazboda for further comment and details.
While Ramaswamy was the most frequent public figure to show up on ARK Protection Group’s social-media accounts, he wasn’t the only one.
Other photos on the company’s Instagram account, as well as Gazboda’s Facebook account, showed the retired U.S. Air Force master sergeant with celebrities such as singer/rapper Jelly Roll and prominent conservative political leaders such as Donald Trump Jr., ex-U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, and commentator Tucker Carlson.
Theodore Owens, executive director of the Ohio Association of Security & Investigation Services, the state’s main trade group for private security services, said in a phone interview that he was “flabbergasted” to read about ARK Protection Group’s issues – first with Salsburey’s arrest, and now with its registration issues.
“I hate to say this, but it makes the whole industry in Ohio now look bad,” said Owens, who’s not related to Jacob Owens. “I wish you could see me, because I’ve got my face in the palm of my hand right now.”
ARK Protection Group is not a member of Owens’ trade group, and Owens – a 20-year veteran of Ohio’s private security industry — said he hadn’t heard of the company before reading about Salsburey’s arrest last week.
Owens said his organization has already been working with state lawmakers – he declined to say exactly who – to introduce legislation later this year to update Ohio’s regulations for private security personnel – from creating new standards for training and firearms qualification to cracking down on security companies that pay employees under the table (which means the employees aren’t eligible for workers’ compensation if they’re attacked or hurt on the job).
Owens said hearing about ARK Protection Group’s issues has motivated him to push even harder to get those reforms in place.
“I’m like, ‘Yeah, we need to talk to our legislators again and really start working on this,’” he said.
The U.S. Bicentennial in 1976 was a monumental, year-long celebration marking the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Coming in the aftermath of the turbulent 1960s, the political disillusionment of the Watergate scandal and President Richard Nixon’s resignation in 1974, and the capture of Saigon by the North Vietnamese and the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, the Bicentennial served as a crucial moment of national healing.
The festivities culminated on the Fourth of July 1976, with spectacular events staged across the country. The most enduring legacy of the celebration in Columbus is Bicentennial Park, located in the Downtown riverfront area along the Scioto River.
Dedicated on July 4, 1976, this 4.7-acre green space was built to permanently commemorate the nation’s 200th birthday. The park’s initial centerpiece was a massive fountain system featuring four circular pools that could shoot water 60 feet into the air.
From May 22 to June 2, 1975, Columbus served as the 11th official stop for the American Freedom Train. This massive, steam-powered rolling museum carried more than 500 priceless historical artifacts – including copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution – across all 48 contiguous states.
The train was displayed at the Defense Construction Supply Center [DCSC] in Whitehall and drew massive crowds of local families. Columbus held a special distinction during the tour: it was one of only three cities nationwide where the “Splendid Spirit” car was included with the train.
Warren Motts, the founding director of Motts Military Museum in Groveport, traveled with the train for its entire 25,000-mile journey, capturing the official photos that documented this historic event.
Beyond these massive metropolitan events, the true spirit of the Bicentennial thrived at the grassroots level. The American Revolution Bicentennial Administration (ARBA) encouraged local communities to form their own committees, leading to thousands of unique municipal projects.
Towns across the nation hosted local parades, commissioned historical murals, dedicated new parks, and sealed time capsules intended for the tricentennial in 2076.
It also triggered a resurgence of interest in local history and genealogy, as everyday citizens sought to trace their own roots back to the nation’s founding eras.
The civic energy and patriotism generated by the 1976 celebrations also helped pave the way for other major local traditions. Just a few years later, in 1981, Columbus launched its annual Red, White & Boom! celebration, which grew into the largest Independence Day fireworks display in the Midwest—a tradition deeply rooted in the community pride revived during the Bicentennial era.
Get involved in America 250 at your library this year! Visit columbulibrary.org for a full list of America 250 events.
Angela O’Neal is Local History & Genealogy Manager with the Columbus Metropolitan Library.
NORTHEAST OHIO (WOIO) – Thousands are without power Friday after severe weather sweeps across Northeast Ohio counties, creating weather-related damage.
FirstEnergy reports more than 71,000 in Northeast Ohio are without power Friday night.
More than 22,000 are without power in Cuyahoga County.
The utility company reports that more than 700 are without power in Erie County.
Lake County reports over 1,000 outages, and Portage has over 4,000 outages.
Trumbull County is experiencing over 1,000, and Ashtabula reports over 3,000.
Lorain County is experiencing more than 3,000 reported outages, and Geauga County has more than 7,000.
Medina County reported more than 1,000.
Chardon fire crews field wave of storm calls
The Chardon Fire Department shared the calls it responded to concerning storm damage Friday evening.
Fire crews said they responded to a tree in a house at 127 Burlington Oval.
The department said a tree fell on a gas line, causing a gas leak at 408 Charleston Avenue.
Wires were reported down on South Claridon Road, closing State Route 44 near South Street.
Wires were reported down on a house near Irma and South Hambden.
Fire crews said a tree was reported down on a home at 306 North Hambden.
The department also said alarms went off at UH Geauga Hospital.
Downed wires also closed Auburn and Twing roads.
The department said power was out on the south side of Chardon City.
Another tree was reported to have fallen into a house at 109 Burlington Oval, but no injuries were reported.
Fire crews said an incident involving a tree in a house and electric lines was reported at 11396 Aquilla Road, but no injuries were reported.
Fallen tree takes out power line in Independence
The city of Independence said a downed tree took out a live power line on lower Stone Road.
The city asked the public to avoid the area because of the danger posed by live wires.
The city said FirstEnergy had been notified and both police and firefighters were on scene.
Downed wires prompt closures across Hambden
The Hambden Fire Department said Friday night it was dealing with multiple storm-related incidents.
Crews said Claridon Troy Road was closed between Route 608 and Chardon Windsor Road because of downed poles and wires.
Kenny Drive was closed south of Leaders Mobile Home Park because of downed wires across the road, according to fire crews.
Multiple wires were reported down on Route 6 near Cutts and Grant Street along the north side of the road.
The department said the public should use caution in areas with downed wires and poles and should not attempt to move any of the wires.
Anyone with an electrical emergency or who encounters downed wires is asked to call 9-1-1.
Hambden Fire said people should not call 9-1-1 to report an outage.
The department said FirstEnergy is aware of these issues and is working to fix them.
Check FirstEnergy’s, AEP’s, and Cleveland Public Power’s websites for the latest outage numbers.
These outages come after severe thunderstorm warnings were issued for multiple Northeast Ohio counties this evening and were extended until 10:45 p.m.
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — Friday, July 3
Downtown Columbus: Billed as the Midwest’s largest fireworks show, Red, White & BOOM! takes place along the Scioto Mile. The fireworks show starts at 10:00 p.m. More information can be found on the event’s website.
Bexley: Festivities at Capital University begin at 6:00 p.m., with a fireworks display starting at 10:00 p.m.
Buckeye Lake: The Buckeye Lake Area Star Spangled Tradition (BLASST) fireworks display will take place at approximately 10:00 p.m. The primary viewing area is at Fairfield Beach, Lake Shore Drive NE, Thornville.
Canal Winchester: First Friday at Loose Rail Brewing will feature a fireworks show at approximately 9:00 p.m. The brewery will also show Red, White & BOOM! on big screens.
Gahanna: Activities start at 5:00 p.m. at the Gahanna Municipal Golf Course and the fireworks show is at 10:00 p.m.
Newark: Central Ohio Technical College and Ohio State Newark campus will host festivities with live music and food trucks at the Martha Grace Reese Amphitheatre, culminating with a fireworks display at dusk (approximately 10:00 p.m.).
Pickerington: The city’s fireworks show starts at 10:00 p.m.
Reynoldsburg: Festivities begin at 6:00 p.m. at Civic Park, with fireworks starting at 9:45 p.m.
Saturday, July 4
Chillicothe: Fireworks are scheduled to begin at approximately 9:45 PM from the Yoctangee Park Annex.
Circleville: AMVETS Post 2256 will host food trucks, live music, and a fireworks display after dark.
Clintonville: Whetstone Park of Roses hosts a live music event followed by fireworks at 9:45 p.m.
Delaware: Fireworks will launch from the city’s Cherry Street property at 10:00 p.m.
Dublin: Independence Day Celebration activities wrap up with fireworks at 9:50 p.m. at Dublin Coffman High School.
Grove City: Fireworks will launch from Murfin Fields at 9:45 p.m.
Hilliard: Freedom Fest takes place at Roger Reynolds Municipal Park with fireworks starting around 9:45 p.m.
Lancaster: A full day of celebrations culminates with fireworks at dusk at the Fairfield County Fairgrounds.
Marysville: Fireworks at approximately 9:00 p.m. at the Union County Fairgrounds.
New Albany: The July 4th Festival ends with fireworks at 10:00 p.m. at New Albany High School.
Upper Arlington: The annual Party in the Park begins at 5:00 p.m. at Northam Park, followed by fireworks at 10:00 p.m.
Westerville: Evening festivities and food trucks can be found at the Westerville Sports Complex until the fireworks show begins at 10:00 p.m.
Worthington: The city’s celebration concludes with fireworks launched from Thomas Worthington High School at 10:00 p.m.
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