Kaylee Schnitzer, 18, was filming the coast of Front Street in Lahaina, Maui, when she saw something she could not believe: a man threw a coconut-sized rock directly at Lani, an endangered Hawaiian monk seal swimming near the shore.
When Kaylee and other witnesses confronted him, the man did not apologize. According to reports, he responded with a phrase that says it all: “I’m rich. Fine me whatever you want. I can pay it. I come here every month”. The person responsible, identified as Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk, 38, a resident of Covington, Washington, was arrested eight days later at his own home by federal NOAA agents.
He now faces charges for violating the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. After pleading not guilty in a federal court in Honolulu, he was released on bail, but with a strict ban on setting foot on any beach in Hawaii. His jury trial is scheduled for November 16, 2026, where he could face up to two years in prison and thousands of dollars in fines. Will the law be enough to ensure that money cannot buy impunity? 👀