First Criminal Insider Trading Case in U.S. Prediction Market Involves Master Sgt. Van Dyke

The U.S. Justice Department has charged Master Sgt. Gannon Ken Van Dyke with insider trading, marking the first such case involving a prediction market participant. According to NS3.AI, prosecutors allege that Van Dyke turned approximately $33,034 in Polymarket bets into about $409,881 by using classified information related to the January raid that led to the capture of Nicolás Maduro. The indictment details that Van Dyke placed 13 YES bets across four Venezuela-related contracts between December 27, 2025, and January 3, 2026. He now faces five federal counts in this unprecedented case.