By Shellie Murdaugh
The Island News
A search warrant executed at a residence Oct. 20 by numerous law enforcement agencies in Jasper County led to the arrest of a Ridgeland man who faces several drug charges, police said.
Leonard Brown, also known as “Nardy Rock”, 42, was charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana and trafficking in fentanyl. Brown was denied bond and remained in the Jasper County Detention Center as of Oct. 21, according to detention center records.
Numerous agencies assisted the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Enforcement Team in an ongoing drug trafficking investigation in Ridgeland. The sheriff’s office narcotics enforcement team, along with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Hardeeville Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), executed a search warrant at a residence on Oak Hill Road in Ridgeland.
“During the execution of the search warrant, investigators seized approximately 172 grams of marijuana, 190 grams of fentanyl, jewelry, and a 2022 Kia,” Jasper County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Christian Felt said.
Felt said the investigation remains active and additional arrests were anticipated. He said no additional arrests had been made as of Oct. 21.
Shellie Murdaugh, who joined The Island News in October 2026, formerly worked as a reporter for The Jasper County Sun Times and Bluffton Today. She also worked for newspapers in Hampton and Colleton counties in South Carolina and in North Carolina at The Richmond County Daily Journal. She can be reached at shelliemurdaugh@gmail.com.
