2 Men Arrested at Marijuana Patch Plead Not Guilty

Two men suspected of growing more than 1,000 marijuana plants in the Angeles National Forest pleaded not guilty Monday in federal court.

Jose Gutierrez and Ascuncion Gonzalez were arrested Nov. 6 after U.S. Forest Service rangers received an anonymous tip from a hunter that several acres of marijuana were being cultivated near the Upper Bear Canyon Trail, authorities said.

Assistant U.S. Atty. Dan Levin said Gutierrez was arrested at a campsite near one of the fields carrying 15 pounds of processed marijuana and a 9-millimeter handgun. Gonzalez was arrested as he returned to the campsite shortly after Gutierrez’s arrest.

The two men face charges of conspiracy, illegal cultivation of marijuana and use of a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. If convicted, each could serve a minimum of 15 years in prison.

Dianne Cahir, spokeswoman for the Angeles National Forest, said the marijuana was grown under the cover of oak trees, making the plants hard to spot from the air. Cahir noted that this is the third drug bust in recent months in the forest.

U.S. District Judge Ronald Lew has set the trial for Jan 16.