US special forces soldier accused of using secret intel to win $400K on Maduro raid unmasked as he’s granted bond
A federal judge has allowed a U.S. Army special operations soldier accused of exploiting sensitive mission details for financial gain to be released on bond, as his case moves to New York.
Gannon Ken Van Dyke, 38, appeared in a North Carolina courtroom on Friday, where a magistrate approved his release under a $250,000 unsecured bond—meaning he did not have to pay upfront. He has been ordered to report to a federal court in New York by Tuesday, where the case will proceed.
Van Dyke, who is based at Fort Bragg near Fayetteville, is facing multiple federal charges, including misuse of confidential government information, theft of nonpublic data, wire fraud, commodities fraud, and conducting an illegal financial transaction. Prosecutors say some of the counts carry potential sentences of up to 10 years, while one charge could bring as much as 20 years in prison.
Authorities allege that Van Dyke used classified knowledge tied to a January military operation targeting Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to place strategic wagers on the prediction platform Polymarket. These markets allow users to bet on outcomes ranging from sports events to political developments. According to investigators, his bets centered on whether Maduro would be removed from power by the end of January.
Prosecutors say Van Dyke had been involved for roughly a month in planning and carrying out the mission and had signed agreements prohibiting him from sharing or using classified information. Despite that, they claim he used inside knowledge to place bets between late December and early January—many of them just hours before military action began in Caracas. Those trades allegedly generated more than $400,000 in profit.
The FBI’s director, Kash Patel, said the case involves a service member who abused his position for personal financial gain tied to a U.S. military operation.
Polymarket stated that it identified suspicious trading activity linked to nonpublic government information and reported it to the Justice Department, cooperating with investigators afterward.
The case has drawn broader attention to prediction markets, which have grown rapidly and are now under increasing scrutiny from lawmakers. Some members of Congress and state officials have raised concerns about the potential for insider trading, especially following instances of highly precise bets tied to geopolitical events and decisions involving President Donald Trump.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission also filed a related civil complaint, alleging Van Dyke transferred $35,000 into a cryptocurrency account shortly before the operation and used those funds to place a series of calculated wagers. The agency claims his actions compromised national security and risked the safety of U.S. personnel.
Van Dyke, described in court as reserved and heavily tattooed, spoke little during the hearing. A federal public defender was appointed to represent him but declined to comment.
A neighbor in Fayetteville, Larry Duncan, said he had only recently met Van Dyke after he moved into the area, describing him as quiet and somewhat guarded.
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