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The attorney representing Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk, a 38-year-old from Covington, Washington, has reported that his client is facing threats and has had his personal information exposed online after a video of him allegedly throwing a rock at a monk seal went viral.
According to an Associated Press report, Lytvynchuk’s legal representative, Myles Breiner, stated that the incident has sparked significant backlash against his client.
The controversial video purportedly shows the man throwing a rock at the head of an endangered Hawaiian monk seal while the animal was swimming close to the shore in Maui.
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Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk is now facing two federal charges, accused of assaulting an endangered Hawaiian monk seal with a rock on May 5, 2026, as reported by the Department of Justice.
A Hawaiian monk seal sleeps on a beach in Hawaii. ((Ryan Jenkinson/Department of Land and Natural Resources, Hawaii))
He is due in federal court Wednesday.
As a result of the May 5 incident and the amassed global attention, Lytvynchuk is facing charges of harassing and attempting to harass a protected animal. He was arrested in the Seattle area on May 13.
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A Hawaiian monk seal and her newborn pup rest on a Waikiki beach in Honolulu on June 29, 2017. (Audrey McAvoy/AP)
In an interview with local outlet KHON, Breiner went on the record to say, “I want to be resoundingly clear to the public — he never intended to injure the monk seal.”
Breiner maintains his client was only trying to protect seals in the area.
Monk seals are a highly endangered species with only 1,600 left in the world, according to NOAA.
A Hawaiian monk seal sunbathes on a beach in Ko Olina, Oahu, Hawaii, on March 27, 2022. (Danielle Pellini)
If convicted, Lytvynchuk could face up to a year in prison on each charge, along with a fine of up to $50,000 under the Endangered Species Act and up to $20,000 under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to Breiner’s law office for comment.
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