Fresno felon grows marijuana in national forest

A federal grand jury returned a seven-count indictment today against Gary Lee Ortiz, 41, of Auberry, charging him in connection with a large-scale marijuana cultivation operation located near Mill Creek in Fresno County in the Sierra National Forest Acting United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. Ortiz was charged with conspiring to manufacture, distribute and possess with the intent to distribute marijuana, with manufacture of marijuana, possession of marijuana with intent to distri