A U.S. Army Master Sergeant stationed at Fort Bragg has been arrested and charged with allegedly using classified military intelligence to profit from bets on a prediction market tied to the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
Gannon Ken Van Dyke is accused of wagering about $32,000 on the outcome of the covert mission, known as Operation Absolute Resolve, which ultimately earned him more than $400,000 in profits.
Federal prosecutors say Van Dyke created an account on the prediction platform Polymarket shortly before the operation and placed a series of high-risk bets between late December and early January, predicting that Maduro would be removed from power.
After Maduro was captured and extradited to New York, Van Dyke allegedly attempted to conceal his earnings by routing the funds through a foreign cryptocurrency account before transferring them to a U.S.-based brokerage.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton described the case as a serious breach of duty, stressing that military personnel are forbidden from using classified information for personal financial gain.
Maduro, who was brought to the United States to face federal drug-trafficking charges, has pleaded not guilty.
Van Dyke is facing multiple criminal counts and is expected to appear in court in North Carolina.
