CLEVELAND — Earlier this year, 'The Investigator' Tom Meyer broke a story about convicted felons working for the city of Cleveland.
On Tuesday, Channel 3 News learned that Antonio Peterson, leader of the Heartless Felons gang, is being accused of threatening his supervisor.
Peterson and the victim work in the city streets department.
According to the police report, the supervisor reported Peterson for being late to work.
Peterson then reportedly got angry, threatening to physically harm his supervisor using language such as "smoke his soul after work."
The report also states Peterson told the victim, "You know how I get down...we send people to do our handy work."
Peterson was convicted of aggravated robbery and assault and was released from prison back in 2007.
While past generations blocked or discouraged hiring someone convicted of a crime, a new mantra at Cleveland's City Hall embraces and encourages second chances.
That’s why Councilman Blaine Griffin helped Peterson, the so-called Godfather of the Heartless Felons street gang, land a job with the city streets department. Peterson has a felony record for aggravated robbery.
"Antonio has come back into this community. He has been an asset to this community. He has worked hard,” Griffin said in an interview earlier this year.
A months-long investigation by Channel 3 News reviewed about 4,500 city employees and found that about one out of every 10 workers surveyed has a felony record. That’s a total of 445 workers with convictions for high-level crimes representing the city, many working in our neighborhoods.
Records for safety forces and first-responders were not examined. Positions such as police officers ban felons from being hired.
"Yes, there are people who work for the city of Cleveland who commit violence," Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson told Meyer during an interview last fall. "I do not know all the people who are ex-felons."