Seattle judge orders WA man back to Hawaiʻi, where prosecutors say he threw rock at monk seal
The Seattle Times • • nation
Key Points:
- A Seattle judge ordered Igor Lytvynchuk, a Covington man, to return to federal court in Hawaiʻi on May 27, facing charges for allegedly throwing a coconut-sized rock at an endangered Hawaiian monk seal while vacationing in Maui.
- Lytvynchuk was arrested near Seattle by NOAA special agents after witnesses reported the incident, stating he showed no remorse and claimed he was wealthy enough to pay any fines.
- The alleged act violated federal laws protecting endangered marine mammals, with potential penalties including up to one year in prison and a $50,000 fine.
- Video evidence captured Lytvynchuk throwing the rock at the seal, which caused the animal to react and swim away; the case was referred to federal investigators by a state officer.
- Lytvynchuk owns a transportation company in Kent, Washington, and his defense attorney has not disclosed who will represent him in Hawaiʻi.