CHESTERFIELD, S.C. - Brian Burch, Kip Gulledge, Eric Donahue and Lee Carnes all remain on administrative leave while the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division investigates whether they committed a crime by shooting multiple dogs at the Chesterfield County animal shelter.
 
Websites have popped up, demanding that Brian Burch, the shelter director, be fired.  FOX Charlotte has learned that Burch has a criminal past including two felony drug charges from the 90s.     

According to Lancaster County 6th Judicial Circuit public records, which lists Burch's date of birth as 11/11/11, he pled guilty to manufacturing, distributing or possessing LSD and cocaine and was sentenced to three years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Convicted felons are not allowed to posses fire arms.  It is unclear if Burch received a pardon, which would restore his right to own a gun.

Other records indicate he was also charged with the manufacturing and distribution of ice, crank or crack cocaine, but that case was not pursued.

Sheriff Sam Parker, Burch's boss, tells FOX Charlotte that he was aware of Burch's record.  Parker said, "I inherited him from the county."

Parker says he hired the other three men: Gulledge, Donahue and Carnes.  He says Gulledge and Carnes have clean backgrounds and that Donahue's background check is in process.

Parker also says that he wanted the employees to become Class III officers within the next year and that a new round of background checks would have revealed Burch's past and probably disqualified him from the police academy.  Parker says, "These are not deputies by no means. They're not commissioned deputies.  They're just county employees that've got the title of Animal Control Officers."

When we interviewed Parker Tuesday, he spoke about his frustration with the shelter.  He says, "I've inherited more problems in 36 years with this animal shelter than I could ever imagine."

We contacted the four county employees but none of them called back.  The sheriff also told us that preliminary necropsy reports have come back on three dogs from the landfill but he didn't have time to read the files yet.  SLED continues to investigate the case.