‘Unindicted co-conspirator’ replaces skimming defendant

One of three men accused of stealing credit and debit card information from people who purchased gasoline at Aloha Island Mini Mart stations on Oahu might be cooperating with authorities.

An Oahu grand jury charged Karapet Kalantryan, 36, Akop Tadevosovich Changryan, 27, and Araik Davtyan, 45, in March on charges of identity theft, conspiracy and being an accomplice. Kalantryan also faced a fraudulent use of credit card charge for allegedly using credit card information stolen in a similar scheme in California while he was here last September.

A new indictment an Oahu grand jury returned Tuesday charges Changryan, Davtyan and another man, Vardan Kagramany, with first-degree theft, first-degree identity theft, conspiracy and accomplice charges. The new indictment does not charge Kalantryan with any crimes but does mention an unindicted co-conspirator.

Authorities said Davtyan and Kalantryan were born in Armenia; Changryan was born in Russia.

The prosecutor said in court records he has received information from law enforcement officials on the mainland that all three are associated with a group of “known carders.” He also said the U.S. Secret Service conducted the investigation resulting in the indictments.

Law enforcement officials in Los Angeles arrested Changryan and Kalantryan on March 30 and Davtyan on April 6. Changryan and Davtyan have been extradited to Honolulu to face criminal charges in state court.

Changryan and Davtyan have pleaded not guilty. Both remain in custody unable to post $500,000 bail.

According to the new indictment, Changryan, Davtyan, Kagramany and an unindicted co-conspirator traveled to Oahu from California, installed and retrieved skimming devices in gas pumps at four Aloha Island Mini Mart stations last year between Sept. 9 and 24, with Kagramany acting as lookout and blocker.

Skimming devices record credit and debit card information without interfering with the transaction. Businesses where the devices are installed are unaware that someone is stealing information from their customers. People learn they have been victimized only when they see their card statements.

The indictment says the defendants stole more than $150,000 from six Hawaii financial institutions of 156 account holders who used the compromised pumps.

The prosecutor said in court records the actual loss is more than $170,000 from 194 account holders whose information the defendants used to make counterfeit credit and debit cards.

Police in Glendale, Calif., said they arrested Changryan in a similar case in January in which his DNA was found on a skimming device that was installed in a Los Angeles-area gas pump.