A Washington state businessman, Igor Lytvynchuk, was arrested after a video from his Maui vacation went viral. The clip shows him throwing a large rock at a Hawaiian monk seal; locals confronted him afterward, and he reportedly said he was \u201crich enough\u201d to pay the fines.<\/p>\n

Federal authorities charged him with harassing\/attempting to harass a protected animal. The targeted monk seal<\/a> is described as a local celebrity, \u201cLani.\u201d Hawaiian monk seals are critically endangered<\/a>, with about 1,600 left in the wild.<\/p>\n

The article notes Lytvynchuk turned himself in in Seattle as NOAA agents were pursuing the case. Potential penalties include up to a year in prison and fines of up to $50,000 under the Endangered Species Act, and up to a year and $20,000 under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. <\/p>\n