A Seattle judge on Thursday ordered a Covington man to return to court in Hawai’i, where he faces federal charges for allegedly lobbing a coconut-sized rock at an endangered seal while vacationing earlier this month in Maui. Witnesses who confronted Igor Lytvynchuk, 38, last week for throwing a rock at “Lani,” a beloved Hawaiian monk seal, said he told them he did not care and that he was “rich” enough to pay any fines, prosecutors said Tuesday in a federal complaint. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration special agents arrested Lytvynchuk on Wednesday near Seattle, according to the U.S. attorney’s office in Honolulu. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Paula McCandlis ordered that Lytvynchuk be released from custody after he agreed to attend his next hearing on May 27 in federal court in Honolulu. Lytvynchuk owns BFI Transport, a transportation and warehousing company headquartered in Kent, state records show. Federal investigators have accused Lytvynchuk of violating two federal laws protecting endangered and marine mammals, both misdemeanors. A Maui beachgoer captured a cellphone video on May 5 of Lytvynchuk aiming and throwing a large rock at a Hawaiian monk seal as it swam near shore, narrowly missing the animal’s head, prosecutors alleged in their complaint. The Hawaiian monk seal – Neomonachus schauinslandi – has been listed as an endangered species since 1976 and is protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Under federal law, any attempt to torment or disturb one is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in prison and a $50,000 penalty. Lytvynchuk’s defense attorney, federal public defender Greg Geist, and two supporters declined interview requests with The Seattle Times on Thursday after the hearing. Geist would not provide the name of the defense attorney Lytvynchuk has hired to represent him in Hawai’i. Federal investigators reviewed the witness’s video, which showed Lytvynchuk allegedly throwing the rock at the seal, causing it to rear its upper body out of the water and swim away. Witnesses reported the incident to a state Department of Land and Natural Resources officer, who tracked Lytvynchuk down at a nearby resort, according to the complaint. The officer told Lytvynchuk he would refer the investigation to federal investigators, the complaint states. Context: Lytvynchuk is facing federal charges for throwing a rock at a Hawaiian monk seal, an endangered species protected under federal laws. Fact Check: The Hawaiian monk seal has been an endangered species since 1976 and is shielded by the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
