Some of the charges against a former Boston bank employee suspected of rape in incidents dating back over 15 years have been dismissed due to the statute of limitations related to those cases, though others will move forward.
In an appearance Wednesday, the court discussed the case against 42-year-old Ivan Y. Cheung of Quincy. Cheung was originally accused of raping two women at knifepoint, and raping two teenagers, in multiple incidents between 2003 and 2006.
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The dismissed charges, which the prosecution opted to nolle, or decline to prosecute, involved allegations surrounding the adult women. The prosecution is still pursuing the charges concerning the alleged rape of the two girls, aged 13 and 14.
Prosecutors said they were able to tie Cheung to the crimes based on DNA evidence taken from a cigarette he was smoking. Investigators watching Cheung in June saw him smoking a cigarette near the South Bay Mall and picked it up after he tossed it.
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That DNA and a sexual assault evidence collection kit linked him to the rapes of the two women, authorities said. The similarity to the two teenage cases, along with the description of Cheung's car, linked him to the other cases.
In light of the dropped charges, Cheung's attorney requested a change in bail conditions, which was denied by a judge. For about a year, Cheung has been on release on a $200,000 cash bail, with the condition that he submit to a curfew and electronic GPS monitoring. He is also subject to travel conditions and cannot leave the commonwealth without informing his probation officer.
Cheung's attorney, Peter Parker, argued that his client has abided by the conditions, which in a few cases were relaxed by the court both for work and for family events following an appropriate request. He also claimed that the remaining cases don't have as strong evidence as the two counts that were dropped, and that one of the victims has been described as "reluctant to participate" by investigators.
The prosecution argued that the conditions are effective and pointed to an extensive travel history as a point of concern. The Commonwealth had agreed to relax the restrictions in specific cases, which requires filing a motion with the court.
The judge agreed with the prosecution, opting to keep the conditions in place.
Cheung was an employee at the Boston bank and financial services company State Street, which chose to terminate him over the allegations.
Authorities have said the case is ongoing and more charges may be possible in the future.
The next hearing was scheduled for Jan. 8, 2023.
Resources for victims of sexual assault are available through the National Sexual Violence Resources Center and the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673, and Massachusetts provides this list of statewide and resources for sexual assault survivors.
