Washington man formally charged in monk seal harassment case
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A Washington man accused of throwing a large rock at an endangered Hawaiian monk seal on Maui has been formally charged in federal court.
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Federal prosecutors said Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk, 38, of Covington, Washington, was charged May 26 by information with violating the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Lytvynchuk was previously charged by criminal complaint on May 12 and arrested the following day near Seattle by special agents with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, prosecutors said.
According to court records, the incident happened May 5 along the shoreline in Lahaina, where Lytvynchuk was allegedly filmed tracking the seal’s movements before throwing a large rock at its head.
Prosecutors said the rock narrowly missed the seal’s nose, startling the animal and causing it to rear out of the water.
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Witnesses confronted Lytvynchuk after the incident and told him law enforcement had been contacted, according to court records. Prosecutors said Lytvynchuk reportedly responded that he was “rich enough to pay the fines” before walking away.
If convicted, Lytvynchuk faces up to one year in prison for each charge and fines totaling up to $170,000 under federal law.
The charges are accusations, and Lytvynchuk is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
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