A US special forces soldier involved in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has been arrested and accused of betting on that operation, profiting about $400,000, CNN reported.
According to an indictment released Thursday, Gannon Staff Sergeant Ken Van Dyke opened an account in late December on Polymarket, one of the most popular betting platforms. He bet about $32,000 that Maduro would be removed from power by January. It was a low-probability bet.
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Letter to the Reader — Why We're Asking for Your Support ContributeBut according to prosecutors, Van Dyke was involved in the planning and execution of Operation Absolute Resolve and had access to classified information before placing the bet. His winnings, although anonymous, immediately caught the attention of authorities.
Van Dyke, an active-duty soldier stationed at Fort Bragg, faces five criminal counts of theft and misuse of confidential government information, as well as fraud. He is expected to make his first court appearance in North Carolina.
He is alleged to have made 13 bets between December 27 and January 2, with the last bet placed just hours before his overnight capture. Prosecutors say he transferred more than $400,000 of the winnings to an offshore cryptocurrency wallet.
"Persons entrusted with the nation's secrets have an obligation to protect them and members of the armed forces, not to use them for personal financial gain," said Jay Clayton, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
After the bets were placed, the US military launched a covert operation that led to Maduro's capture from the presidential palace in Caracas during a nighttime shootout. He was transported to New York to face federal drug trafficking charges. Maduro has pleaded not guilty.