Charges filed in marijuana cultivation case

Criminal charges were filed Friday against a 35-year-old Merced man accused of cultivating marijuana and manufacturing marijuana-based products for sale, the Merced County District Attorney’s Office confirmed.

Benjamin M. Harris was arrested Wednesday at a home in the 1500 block of Ann Court in southeast Merced, the Merced County Sheriff’s Department reported.

Agents with the Merced Multi-Agency Narcotics Task Force served a search warrant at the home after learning of a possible marijuana-growing operation there, Sgt. Delray Shelton said.

Investigators seized about 200 marijuana plants and discovered an alleged laboratory in the home that, Shelton said, was used to convert marijuana into “wax, (lip balm), ... candy and lotions which he would for profit.”

Shelton said investigators have found several similar laboratories in Merced County in recent months. He said such laboratories are frequently dangerous because of the highly flammable chemicals created during the process of converting the marijuana into other substances.

“There have been structure fires associated with these types of labs,” Shelton said.

Prosecutors on Friday charged Harris with felony counts of cultivating marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale and manufacturing a controlled substance, Chief Deputy District Attorney Rob Carroll confirmed.

Harris was scheduled to be arraigned that same day in Merced Superior Court. Details of the arraignment were not available.

He remained in custody Friday at the John Latorraca Correctional Facility. His bail was set at more than $557,000, according to Merced County Jail booking records.

This story was originally published October 17, 2014 at 7:32 PM with the headline "Charges filed in marijuana cultivation case."