PEEBLES, Ohio -- A cousin of the slain Rhoden family was arrested Thursday night on drug trafficking charges, but officials said the arrest has nothing to do with the 2016 killings in Pike County.
Josh Rhoden, 38, was arrested as part of "an ongoing drug investigation," Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said. Pike, Ross and Pickaway counties are working together on the case, as well as the U.S. 23 Pipeline Major Crimes Task Force.
DeWine said they found more than $8,000 in cash, $7,700 worth of prescription pills, nine guns and a small amount of marijuana after searching Rhoden and John McJunkin's homes on Grassy Fork Road in Peebles. McJunkin, 63, is charged with possession of drugs.
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Josh Rhoden is a cousin of the eight family members killed execution-style in their homes in April 2016. DeWine said evidence of the drug operation was first discovered during the Rhoden family homicide investigation.
"Although evidence in this case was discovered over the course of the ongoing investigation into last year's killings of eight members of the Rhoden family, this case is unrelated to the homicides," DeWine said in a statement.
DeWine asks anyone with information on the ongoing homicide investigation to call 1-855-BCI-OHIO or the Pike County Sheriff's Office at 740-947-2111.
