Gas-station skimming draws charges

A man accused of stealing $150,000 from 156 people in a credit-card skimming scheme will be arraigned today.

Araik Davtyan, 45, of Los Angeles will enter a plea at 8:30 a.m. before Circuit Judge Richard Perkins. He faces three counts of first-degree identity theft and is being held in lieu of $250,000 bail.

Davtyan was extradited from Los Angeles on Friday.

He and two other men — Akop Tadevosovich Changryan, 27, and Karapet Kalantryan — were indicted March 22 by an Oahu grand jury for allegedly installing skimming devices at four Aloha Island Mini Mart gas stations on Oahu last September.

The three men returned to California, allegedly taking account data the devices recorded, and made counterfeit credit and debit cards using the information, according to the indictment.

Reapportionment discussion May 24

The state Reapportionment Commission has scheduled a meeting on May 24 to review the process of creating new voting districts.

The meeting starts at 3 p.m. in Room 329 of the state Capitol.

Commissioners yesterday restored the practice of giving six days’ notice of meetings. They had imposed a shortened three-day notice period, citing a short deadline to accomplish their tasks. That action was opposed by public interest groups, including Common Cause.

Commissioners said the state Attorney General’s Office advised them that it was unclear whether the commission was exempt from the Hawaii Sunshine Law, which requires six days’ notice.

Kapaa man goes missing

The Kauai Police Department is asking for the public’s help with finding a missing Kapaa man.

Harold “Duna” Bode, 59, was last seen at his home last Thursday at about 4:30 p.m. Bode has certain medical needs and there is concern for his welfare, police said.

Bode was last seen wearing a white T-shirt with “Kaua‘i” on the front, blue jeans, a green ball cap and moccasins. He is 5 feet 10 and about 130 pounds. Bode has brown hair, brown eyes, a thin build and fair complexion. He has a noticeable wound on his left forearm.

Anyone with information about Bode is asked to call police dispatch at 241-1711, the Investigative Services Bureau at 241-1696 or CrimeStoppers at 241-1887.

Coffee beetle found in Kau

The first infestation of the coffee berry borer in the Kau district of the Big Island has been detected at a farm in Pahala, state agricultural officials announced yesterday.

Infestations of the beetle, which threaten Hawaii’s $27 million coffee-growing industry, have been concentrated in West Hawaii.

The coffee berry borer, a small beetle native to Central Africa, bores into coffee beans and lays its eggs, its larvae feeding inside the bean.

State officials said they’re still assessing the extent of the infestation in Pahala and that farmers in the region are asked to inspect their fields and report any suspected coffee berry borers.

The state in February approved the use of the fungus Beauveria bassiana to control the spread of the coffee berry borer.