Federal agents have arrested a U.S. Army Special Forces soldier who participated in the operation to capture ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, after he allegedly won over $400,000 from bets placed on the prediction market Polymarket.
Charges and Allegations
Gannon Ken Van Dyke, 38, faces three counts of violating the Commodity Exchange Act, each carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. He is also charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of unlawful monetary transaction.
According to an indictment unsealed on Thursday in New York federal court, Van Dyke used his access to classified information to place a series of bets totaling over $33,000 on the prediction market hours before President Donald Trump announced Maduro's capture in January.
Official Statements
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated: “Our men and women in uniform are trusted with classified information in order to accomplish their mission as safely and effectively as possible, and are prohibited from using this highly sensitive information for personal financial gain.” He added: “Widespread access to prediction markets is a relatively new phenomenon, but federal laws protecting national security information fully apply.”
FBI Director Kash Patel commented: “Any clearance holders thinking of cashing in their access and knowledge for personal gain will be held accountable.”
This is a developing story.
