EL CAJON, Calif. -- A Ramona man was awarded $4.5 million because he was maliciously cited by California Highway Patrol officers over a five-year period.

Attorneys for Steve Grassilli, 44, said he was targeted by the officers after he lodged a complaint against one of them, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

Following Monday's verdict in El Cajon Superior Court, several jurors said they hoped the millions of dollars in punitive damages would send a message to the CHP, the newspaper reported.

The CHP was not named as a defendant in the case, but the agency typically pays monetary awards when its officers are sued, Greg Garrison, one of Grassilli's attorneys, said.

Garrison said Grassilli was targeted because he filed a complaint in March 1997 after hearing that CHP Officer Richard Eric Barr removed a catalytic converter from a pickup truck the officer owned. Removing the catalytic converter, which is illegal, gave the vehicle more power.

Grassilli was stopped 13 times over five years for smog violations, having an obstructed view in his vehicle or improperly hauling 10,000-gallon water tanks, which he installed for a living, attorneys told the newspaper.

Instead of giving Grassilli a courtesy notice about an improperly registered vehicle, Barr's supervisor, Sgt. Michael Toth, told officers to hold off on ticketing Grassilli for six months. Then they impounded Grassilli's truck.

By a 9-3 vote, the jury found Grassilli was entitled to $3 million in punitive damages from Barr and $1 million in punitive damages from Toth.

Last week, the jury awarded Grassilli $510,000 in compensatory damages after finding his civil rights were violated by Barr, Toth and CHP Sgt. Stephan Neumann. The jurors found Barr and Toth acted maliciously, prompting the punitive damage phase of the trial against the two.

Grassilli's attorneys told the Union-Tribune that the trial revealed a pattern in which CHP officers were told to lie in court. Two officers refused to lie, and their version of events supported Grassilli's case.

Officer Craig Thetford said he was told to target Grassilli for ticketing, and Officer Michael Clauser testified that Grassilli was properly hauling water tanks, contrary to Barr's assertions.