A Washington state man has been formally charged in federal court for allegedly throwing a large rock at an endangered Hawaiian monk seal in Lahaina on May 5, 2026. Multiple news sources report that Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk, 38, faces charges under the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act for the incident that was captured on video.
- Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk, 38, of Covington, Washington, was charged by Information on May 26, 2026
- The incident occurred May 5, 2026 in Lahaina where Lytvynchuk allegedly threw a large rock at a Hawaiian monk seal’s head, narrowly missing it
- The monk seal was pushing a floating log near shore when Lytvynchuk tracked its movements before throwing the rock
- Witnesses confronted Lytvynchuk who reportedly said he was ‘rich enough to pay the fines’ before walking away
- He was initially charged by criminal complaint May 12 and arrested near Seattle by NOAA special agents
- If convicted, Lytvynchuk faces up to one year in prison for each charge plus fines up to $50,000
- Defense attorney Myles Breiner said his client believed the animal was an aggressive sea lion threatening sea turtles (Maui News)
- Lytvynchuk has received death threats and was physically assaulted after the video circulated online but declined to file a police report (Maui News)
Sources
- Maui Now: Washington man formally charged by Information with allegedly harassing an endangered monk seal on Maui
- Maui News: Washington man formally charged in monk seal case
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