Three charged with cultivating marijuana in Ramona plead not guilty

By Neal Putnam

Three men who were arrested Feb. 22 on marijuana cultivation charges in Ramona will have a May 14 preliminary hearing in San Diego Superior Court.

The three men — Joshua Bennett Day, 27, Michael Politte, 27, and Justin Andrew Lambert, 29, — have pleaded not guilty to the charges and remain free on bond. They are accused of possession of marijuana for sale and cultivation of marijuana.

Day is also charged with possession of a billy club or a leaded cane, according to the criminal complaint.

Sheriff’s deputies served a search warrant Feb. 22 on a residence at 312 Fegahli Road in Ramona. They found an indoor marijuana growing site that contained 120 high-grade marijuana plants, and five pounds of marijuana with a street value of $15,000.

They also found a firearm and $17,800 in cash, both of which will be forfeited to the government if the men are convicted. The residence had a steel security screen with steel gates and an aggressive dog, according to the sheriff’s department.