WOBURN — A Middlesex grand jury this week indicted the former owner of RD’s Deli on Franklin Street for allegedly trying to dupe a mentally challenged woman out of Lottery winners.
Chang Cho, of Churchill Circle in Winchester, was indicted a charge of larceny over $250 against a disabled person. He will be arraigned sometime next week, police said.
Cho is alleged to have attempted to swindle a local woman out of $10,000 she won on a Lottery scratch ticket. At the beginning of November, the resident thought she had won $1,000 and went to cash the ticket at the deli. The owner reportedly gave her $940 and explained that he had deducted taxes. Thinking this was suspicious — anything over a $600 win must be cashed at a main Lottery office — the resident’s family requested an investigation.
On December 17, following an investigation, Lottery officials informed the Melrose Police Department that Cho had lost his privileges to legally sell lottery tickets and told them the reason why. Melrose officers picked up the investigation from there.
In early January, police detectives met with representatives of Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan’s office to determine the charges to bring against Cho.
At the time, Police Chief Mike Lyle said, “These are troubling allegations, in which our investigation shows a Melrose resident was taken advantage of and duped out of her rightful winnings. We continue to gather facts and expect to have a resolution to this case soon.”
Police Sgt. Paul McNamara led the Melrose investigation.
In a joint statement, Mayor Robert J. Doland and Board of Aldermen President Donald Conn Jr. said:
“We are aware of recent allegations that a licensed Lottery agent doing business in the City of Melrose committed an act of fraud against a mentally disabled woman. These actions anger and disgust us as community leaders, and they should anger and disgust every resident of this community. There is no place in Melrose for a business that preys on our residents, particularly our most vulnerable citizens….
“We take great pride in the integrity and professionalism of our local business community, and we will continue to work to uphold that stellar reputations,” the statement concludes.
Eventually, the victim received all the money she was due, the Weekly News was told.
Cho reportedly is trying to sell his Winchester home.