&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "US soldier faces 40 years in prison for making $400k on Polymarket using classified intel about Maduro capture")
A US Army soldier on Wednesday (Apr 21) was indicted on federal charges after allegedly using classified information about a secret military operation to capture Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro. The soldier, identified as Gannon Ken Van Dyke by the Justice Department, is accused of taking advantage of his position "to profit off of a righteous military operation." He reportedly walked off with more than $400,000 in winnings based on the top-secret intel. FBI Director Kash Patel called the case a betrayal of fellow service members. "Any clearance holders thinking of cashing in their access and knowledge for personal gain will be held accountable," he said. On X, he confirmed the case and said, "This involved a U.S. soldier who allegedly took advantage of his position to profit off of a righteous military operation. Here's all we know.
Turning top secret info into a payday
38-year-old Gannon Ken Van Dyke, as per the DoJ, was posted at Fort Bragg and actively participated in the planning and execution of Operation Absolute Resolve. This classified mission resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in the predawn hours of January 3.
He allegedly used the classified information to bet big on Polymarket, a prediction market where people can bet on real-time events. In total, he placed 13 bets totalling approximately $33,000. When US President Donald Trump announced the success of the mission, the US soldier walked off with approximately $409,881 in profits.
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Polymarket in murky waters
Polymarket, operated by Blockratize Inc., had been offering binary event contracts on Venezuela and Maduro since 2025. Earlier this year, the platform made the headlines after reports emerged of unusual trading around the Iran strikes, with suspected insiders making millions on contracts tied to the death of Supreme Leader Khamenei.
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However, Van Dyke's case is the first criminal indictment arising from alleged insider trading on a prediction market.
A failed coverup
As Polymarket became a flashpoint, the soldier tried to cover his tracks, but failed. According to the DoJ, he withdrew the bulk of his winnings and transferred most of them to a foreign cryptocurrency vault before depositing them into a newly created online brokerage account. He also attempted to close his Polymarket account. Van Dyke now faces up to 40 years in prison for his various crimes.
