Tourist charged – A 38-year-old tourist accused of throwing a “large rock” at an endangered Hawaiian monk seal earlier this month was arrested Tuesday and faced federal charges under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. In a viral video described in
When authorities moved in Tuesday. the man at the center of a viral Hawaii video had already made a boast about punishment he believed he could afford.. Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk. 38. was arrested at his Washington home after federal officials alleged he threw a rock at Lani. an endangered Hawaiian monk seal. on May 5.
The charge targets what prosecutors describe as deliberate harassment.. Federal authorities say Lytvynchuk was caught on video throwing a rock that a witness described as the “size of a coconut” at the seal.. The criminal complaint and press materials accuse him of “harassing and attempting to harass an endangered Hawaiian monk seal by throwing a large rock at the seal’s head. ” conduct that prosecutors say violated the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
In the account included in the case materials. witness Kaylee Schnitzer. 18. said she turned around and told him. “You can’t do that.” She described what happened next: he replied. “I’m rich.. Fine me with whatever you want.. I can pay for it.. I come here every month.” Federal prosecutors also highlighted that, according to a witness quoted in the U.S.. attorney’s office for the District of Hawaii. Lytvynchuk told them he was “rich enough to pay the fines” before he walked away.
Prosecutors released images from a video showing the incident.. They wrote in the criminal complaint that “from the video. it appears the rock landed in the water. narrowly missing the seal’s head but causing the animal to abruptly alter its behavior.” Court documents describe the seal briefly rearing the top half of its body out of the water and turning in the opposite direction.
The complaint includes details about the seal’s condition afterward.. One witness told authorities that Lani was “clearly not aggressive. ” and prosecutors wrote that the seal “sprung” out of the water after the rock was thrown.. Afterward, the documents say the seal remained largely “immobile for an extended period of time after the incident.”
The case also unfolded amid online outrage.. A local shirtless vigilante, whom Hawaii State Sen.. Brenton Awa (R) referred to as an “environmental activist,” appeared in another video apparently beating up Lytvynchuk.. Awa later awarded a letter of recognition to the “environmental activist. ” saying the person “took matters into his own hands to educate what might happen when you mess with our lands or the animals.” Awa also said. “Our attorney over here wants to make it clear we don’t condone violence. but we did make a letter of recognition for Mr.. Ambassador of Aloha,” according to the materials.
Lytvynchuk’s federal case records did not list a lawyer, and prosecutors said he remained silent and declined to provide a statement upon his arrest.
In the same press release, U.S.. Attorney Ken Sorenson pointed to the broader purpose of the enforcement.. “The unique and precious wildlife of the Hawaiian Islands are renowned symbols of Hawaii’s special place in the world and its incredible biodiversity.. We are committed to protecting our vulnerable wild species, in particular endangered Hawaiian monk seals, like Lani,” he said.. “We pledge that those who harass and attempt to harm our protected wildlife will face rapid accountability in federal court.”
Under the charges, Lytvynchuk faces up to one year in prison for each charge, plus fines of up to $50,000 under the Endangered Species Act and up to $20,000 under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
The witnesses’ accounts and prosecutors’ description line up around a sequence: Lytvynchuk allegedly threw a large rock toward the seal’s head on May 5. the video is described as narrowly missing Lani’s head while the animal changed its behavior. and the complaint then states Lani remained largely “immobile for an extended period of time after the incident. ” while another witness described the seal as “clearly not aggressive.”
Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk Hawaiian monk seal Lani Endangered Species Act Marine Mammal Protection Act federal charge viral video Hawaii