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Sat, 25 Apr 2026 15:16:31 -0700
marlon from private IP, post #17858830
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U.S. Soldier Charged With Using Classified Information To Profit From Prediction
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/us-soldier-charged-using-classified-information-profit-prediction-market-bets
U.S. Soldier Charged With Using Classified Information To Profit From Prediction Market Bets
Thursday, April 23, 2026
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For Immediate Release
Office of Public Affairs
Gannon Ken Van Dyke allegedly made more than $400,000 trading on polymarket on the basis of classified information regarding the timing of a U.S. military
operation to capture Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela
The Justice Department announced today the unsealing of an indictment charging Gannon Ken Van Dyke, a U.S. Army soldier, with unlawful use of confidential
government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud, and making an unlawful monetary transaction.
The charges arise from an alleged scheme in which Van Dyke used sensitive classified information to make wagers on Polymarket, a prediction marketplace. As
alleged in the indictment, Van Dyke participated in the planning and execution of the U.S. military operation to capture Nicolás Maduro, called “Operation
Absolute Resolve,” and Van Dyke used his access to classified information about that operation to personally profit. Van Dyke will be presented today before
U.S. Magistrate Judge Brian S. Meyers in the Eastern District of North Carolina. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Margaret M. Garnett in the
Southern District of New York.
“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,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Widespread access to
prediction markets is a relatively new phenomenon, but federal laws protecting national security information fully apply.”
“Today’s announcement makes clear no one is above the law, and this FBI will do whatever it takes to defend the homeland and safeguard our nation’s
secrets,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Any clearance holders thinking of cashing in their access and knowledge for personal gain will be held
accountable.”
“Prediction markets are not a haven for using misappropriated confidential or classified information for personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton for
the Southern District of New York. “The defendant allegedly violated the trust placed in him by the United States Government by using classified information
about a sensitive military operation to place bets on the timing and outcome of that very operation, all to turn a profit. That is clear insider trading and is
illegal under federal law. Those entrusted to safeguard our nation’s secrets have a duty to protect them and our armed service members, and not to use that
information for personal financial gain. Our Office will continue to hold accountable those who misuse confidential or classified information in a way that
undermines and exploits our national security.”
“Gannon Ken Van Dyke allegedly betrayed his fellow soldiers by utilizing classified information for his own financial gain,” said FBI Assistant Director in
Charge James C. Barnacle Jr. “Van Dyke profited more than $400,000 by trading various outcomes related to Venezuela after learning of the operation because of
his role as a U.S. Army soldier. The FBI will continue to investigate threats to our nation's security especially from those entrusted to safeguard sensitive
classified information and military operations.”
As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court, Van Dyke has been an active-duty soldier in the U.S. Army, stationed at Fort Bragg, a
military base located in Fayetteville, North Carolina. In connection with his work, Van Dyke signed nondisclosure agreements in which he promised to “never
divulge, publish, or reveal by writing, words, conduct, or otherwise . . . any classified or sensitive information” relating to military operations. Starting
around Dec. 8, 2025, and continuing through at least Jan. 6, Van Dyke was involved in the planning and execution of Operation Absolute Resolve, a military
operation to capture Maduro, and had access to sensitive, nonpublic, classified information about that operation.
In 2025, Polymarket, a prediction marketplace operated by Blockratize Inc., began offering binary event contracts related to whether certain events involving
Venezuela and/or Maduro would, or would not, occur. Those event contracts included the future likelihood of “US forces in Venezuela by” certain dates, the
future likelihood of Maduro being “out” of or removed from power by certain dates, the future likelihood of the U.S. invading Venezuela by on or before Jan.
31, and the future likelihood of President Trump “invoking War Powers against Venezuela” by a certain date.
As alleged, on or about Dec. 26, 2025, Van Dyke created a Polymarket account, funded it, and began trading on Maduro- and Venezuela-related markets. In total,
Van Dyke made approximately 13 bets from Dec. 27, 2025, through the evening of Jan. 26. Those bets all took the “YES” position on “U.S. Forces in
Venezuela . . . by January 31, 2026”; “Maduro out by . . . January 31, 2026”; “Will the U.S. invade Venezuela by . . . January 31,”; or “Trump
invokes War Powers against Venezuela by . . . January 31.” Van Dyke bet a total of approximately $33,034 on those outcomes while in possession of classified
nonpublic information about Operation Absolute Resolve.
In the predawn hours of Jan. 3, the U.S. apprehended Maduro and his wife at a residence in Caracas, Venezuela, and hours later the President of the United
States announced the successful operation. Following the President’s public announcement, Polymarket resolved several Maduro- and Venezuela-related contracts
to “YES,” including the markets “Maduro out by . . . January 31, 2026,” and “US forces in Venezuela by . . . January 31, 2026.” As a result, Van
Dyke won his wagers on those contracts. In total, Van Dyke allegedly profited approximately $409,881.
Following his successful trading relating to Maduro- and Venezuela-related contracts, Van Dyke allegedly sent most of his proceeds to a foreign cryptocurrency
vault before depositing them into a newly created online brokerage account. The same day of the operation, Van Dyke withdrew the majority of his allegedly
unlawful proceeds from his Polymarket account. Shortly after the announcement of Operation Absolute Resolve, reports of unusual trading in Maduro-related
contracts on Polymarket appeared in the press and on social media. Van Dyke then took steps to conceal his identity as the trader in the Maduro- and
Venezuela-related markets. On or about January 6, 2026, for example, Van Dyke asked Polymarket to delete his Polymarket account, falsely claiming that he had
lost access to the email address to which the account had been associated. That same day, Van Dyke changed the email registered to his cryptocurrency exchange
account to an email address that was not subscribed to in his name, and which he had created on or about Dec. 14, 2025.
Van Dyke, 38, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, is charged with three counts of violating the Commodity Exchange Act, each of which carries a maximum sentence of
10 years in prison; one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of an unlawful monetary transaction, which
carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant
will be determined by the judge.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force and National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S.
Attorneys Nicholas W. Chiuchiolo, Ryan B. Finkel, and Juliana N. Murray for the Southern District of New York are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance
from Acting Deputy Chief Tanner Kroeger and Trial Attorney Eli Ross of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence & Export Control Section.
Updated April 23, 2026
Sat, 25 Apr 2026 15:17:21 -0700
marlon from private IP
Reply #16074338
learn something new every day.
Sun, 26 Apr 2026 19:47:45 -0700
Exnite from private IP
Reply #11929747
By all means, charge the soldier, ignore Trump’s inner circle, family, and golfing buddies; ignore corrupt senators and congressmen, ignore Iranian diplomats,
MOSSAD, etc But make an example out of this guy and send him to Leavenworth for life.
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