(WSBT) The St. Joseph County Merit Board has decided Sheriff Frank Canarecci can fire two officers.

Canarecci asked the board to approve the firings of Corporal Andrew Taghon and Corporal Ryan Huston in June, and late Wednesday afternoon the panel agreed.

Taghon and Huston are accused of four violations of the merit code, including conduct unbecoming to an officer, obeying of orders, truthfulness, and lack of cooperation with an internal investigation.

In May, Sheriff Canarecci was notified by the FBI that both officers were being investigated. The sheriff says he doesn’t want to compromise the FBI’s two-year investigation by giving the details.

Huston had been with the department eight years without any incident. Taghon had been with department about seven years. He was suspended once after an internal investigation about some missing cocaine.

Both officers say they wanted to cooperate with the internal investigation, but their legal counsel advised them not to say anything.

The officers' terminations start immediately, and their lawyer has 60 days to appeal. He would not comment after Wednesday’s hearing.