A U.S. soldier has been charged with using inside information to win $400,000 in an online betting market on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's capture, federal officials announced Thursday.
Details of the Case
Gannon Ken Van Dyk was part of the operation to capture Maduro in January and used his access to classified information to profit on the prediction market site Polymarket, according to the federal prosecutor's office in New York.
Van Dyk, a senior enlisted soldier in the special forces community, was stationed at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, North Carolina, the indictment states, though it offers little other information about his military service.
He faces charges including unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud, and making an unlawful monetary transaction.
Military Background
Van Dyk joined the Army in 2008 and was promoted to Master Sergeant in 2023, the second-highest enlisted rank, according to the indictment. The Pentagon referred questions to the Army and the Department of Justice, while U.S. Special Operations Command did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
This case highlights the risks of insider trading in emerging prediction markets, where nonpublic information can be exploited for financial gain.
