Soldier Charged in Maduro Prediction Bet

A U.S. Army special forces soldier, Gannon Ken Van Dyke, has been arrested and charged with using classified information to profit from prediction market bets.

Van Dyke allegedly placed thirteen bets on the platform Polymarket regarding the removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, netting a profit of approximately $409,000.

This case marks the first time a U.S. citizen has been charged with insider trading on a prediction market platform.

Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York allege that Van Dyke took extensive steps to conceal his identity and moved his winnings into foreign cryptocurrency accounts.