Soldier charged over using classified raid intel on Polymarket

Gannon Ken Van Dyke, a 38-year-old active-duty U.S. Army soldier stationed at Fort Bragg, is accused in an unsealed Department of Justice indictment of using classified information from Operation Absolute Resolve to place bets on Polymarket and earn roughly $409,881.

The indictment, filed in Manhattan federal court, says Van Dyke joined planning and execution of the operation from about Dec. 8, 2025, through at least Jan. 6, 2026, and had access to sensitive, nonpublic classified details. Prosecutors say he signed nondisclosure agreements that barred him from revealing protected operational information.

The complaint states Van Dyke opened a Polymarket account around Dec. 26, 2025, and from Dec. 27, 2025, through the evening of Jan. 26, 2026, placed about 13 trades. Each trade took the “YES” side on binary contracts tied to whether U.S. forces would enter Venezuela by certain dates, whether Nicolás Maduro would be removed by Jan. 31, 2026, whether the U.S. would invade by that date, and whether War Powers would be invoked.

Prosecutors say the defendant wagered about $33,034 while in possession of classified information. In the predawn hours of Jan. 3, 2026, U.S. forces apprehended Maduro and his wife in Caracas, and the president announced the operation hours later. Several Polymarket contracts then resolved to “YES.” The DOJ alleges Van Dyke profited about $409,881 from those outcomes, withdrew most winnings the same day, transferred large sums to a foreign cryptocurrency vault and later moved funds into a newly created online brokerage account.

The indictment says Van Dyke attempted to conceal his activity after news coverage and social posts highlighted unusual trading in the Maduro markets. Around Jan. 6, 2026, he requested that Polymarket delete his account, falsely claiming he had lost access to the email linked to it. Prosecutors also allege he changed the email on his crypto exchange account to an address they contend was not subscribed in his name and that was created about Dec. 14, 2025.

He faces charges including unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain and theft of nonpublic government information. The filing also alleges three counts under the Commodity Exchange Act for commodities fraud, one count of wire fraud and one count of an unlawful monetary transaction. Each Commodity Exchange Act count carries a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years, wire fraud carries up to 20 years, and the unlawful monetary transaction count carries up to 10 years; any sentence would be determined by a federal judge.

The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Margaret M. Garnett in the Southern District of New York. Van Dyke was scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brian S. Meyers in the Eastern District of North Carolina.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said, “Classified information is provided to service members for missions, not personal profit.” FBI Director Kash Patel warned that the bureau will hold clearance holders accountable and protect national secrets. Former SEC Chairman Jay Clayton characterized the conduct as a form of insider trading and added, “Prediction markets are not a haven for misused classified information.” Attorney James C. Barnacle Jr. accused the defendant of betraying fellow soldiers and noted the alleged profit exceeded $400,000.

Polymarket, operated by Blockratize Inc., offered binary yes/no contracts tied to events in Venezuela. The DOJ alleges Van Dyke’s access to protected operational details gave him a trading advantage he used for personal gain, in violation of the nondisclosure agreements he had signed.