Special Forces soldier who allegedly scored $400K using secret Maduro raid info looks the part in NYC court
Gannon Ken Van Dyke, a 38-year-old U.S. Army Special Forces master sergeant, appeared in Manhattan federal court facing charges of using classified information to profit from bets on the prediction market Polymarket. He allegedly made $409,000 by wagering on the success of a January 3 raid that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. Van Dyke pleaded not guilty and was released on $250,000 bail with travel restrictions and orders to surrender his passport and firearms.
- ▪Gannon Ken Van Dyke is accused of using insider knowledge from Operation Absolute Resolve to place winning bets on Polymarket.
- ▪He reportedly bet around $33,000 and earned $409,000 by correctly predicting U.S. military action in Venezuela and Maduro's removal from power.
- ▪Prosecutors allege Van Dyke concealed his winnings by transferring them to foreign cryptocurrency accounts.
- ▪The case has drawn attention to the regulation of prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi.
- ▪President Trump criticized the rise of event-based gambling platforms while his company, Truth Social, prepares to launch its own prediction market, 'Truth Predict.'
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US News Special Forces soldier who allegedly scored $400K using secret Maduro raid info looks the part in NYC court By Ben Kochman Published April 28, 2026, 5:00 p.m. ET The US soldier who allegedly used classified information to score $400,000 betting on the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro looked every inch the part of a covert operative for court Tuesday. Gannon Ken Van Dyke, 38, wore dark shades and a grimace along with his nondescript open-necked black shirt, navy blue blazer and gray slacks as he headed to Manhattan federal court to face charges of leveraging his inside access to win big on the prediction market Polymarket. “Not guilty, your honor,” the accused master sergeant for the Army’s Special Forces told the judge during his arraignment.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at New York Post.
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