Madera Authorities Arrest Mega Pit Owner in Multi-County Marijuana Raid

Jamal Graves, 39, the owner of the Central Valley Mega Pit car-enthusiast facility, was arrested Thursday after Madera County sheriff's deputies executed search warrants at four properties and uncovered a large illegal indoor marijuana grow, stolen firearms, and evidence that electricity had been stolen from PG&E to power the operation.

The investigation began when deputies received an anonymous tip about a suspected indoor marijuana site inside a shop on Road 21 in Madera County, near the Central Valley Mega Pit. The Sheriff's Office Special Enforcement Team took up the case and identified Graves as the person living at the property tied to the grow. Investigators then linked him to three additional properties, prompting four warrants: two in Madera County and two in Fresno.

Inside the shop, deputies confirmed an active illegal indoor cultivation operation and found that the property's PG&E utility box had been tampered with, allowing electricity to be unlawfully diverted to power the grow. Deputies removed 625 marijuana plants from the site and seized approximately 9.5 pounds of processed marijuana.

The weapons recovered during the operation added significant weight to the charges Graves faces. Deputies seized two AR-15-style rifles and three handguns, one of which was reported stolen out of Texas, along with multiple rounds of ammunition, firearm magazines, and a body armor vest. Investigators also found approximately one ounce of suspected cocaine and more than $18,000 in cash, which the Madera County Sheriff's Office said may be subject to asset forfeiture proceedings.

A stolen 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass, reported stolen out of Fresno in January 2026, was recovered at the scene. Authorities have since contacted the vehicle's owner to arrange its return.

Graves was taken into custody at the scene and arrested on multiple felony charges, including theft of public utilities, being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, possession of body armor, marijuana cultivation, and possession of marijuana for sale. Two other people were detained during the operation; the Sheriff's Office has not released their identities.

The investigation remains ongoing.