A 78-year-old Kauaçi man was indicted today on a charge that he violated the U.S. Endangered Species Act in connection with the May 21 shooting death of a Hawaiian monk seal on the island’s north shore.

Charles Vidinha is expected to appear in federal court in Honolulu at 3 p.m. Tuesday for an arraignment on the charge.
Vidinha was indicted by a federal grand jury in Honolulu today.
If convicted, Vidinha faces maximum penalties of one year imprisonment and a fine of $50,000.
The case resulted from an investigation conducted by the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, assisted by the Kauaçi Police Department; the State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
Authorities continue to investigate the April 20 death of a 5-year-old male seal on Kauaçi’s west side, just a day after he’d been seen healthy.