Master Sgt. Pleads Not Guilty in Polymarket Betting Case
Master Sgt. Gannon Van Dyke pleaded not guilty to charges that he used classified information to profit more than $400,000 betting on the operation that captured Nicolás Maduro.
NBC NewsU.S. soldier accused of betting on Maduro operation pleads not guilty
USA TODAYUS Special Forces op pleads not guilty to insider trading charges in Maduro raid
Washington ExaminerSoldier pleads not guilty in alleged $400,000 Maduro bet case
PBS NewsHourU.S. soldier pleads not guilty to using Maduro raid intel to win $400,000 on Polymarket
Overview
Gannon Ken Van Dyke pleaded not guilty on Tuesday and was released on a $250,000 personal recognizance bond, with travel restricted to New York, North Carolina and California.
Prosecutors allege Van Dyke helped plan and execute the Jan. 3 raid that captured Nicolás Maduro and placed approximately 13 bets beginning Dec. 27, 2025, according to the indictment.
Polymarket's founder said the platform flagged the trades and cooperated with authorities, while Van Dyke's attorneys said the case will largely hinge on motions to exclude evidence.
Van Dyke faces five criminal counts and is accused of wagering roughly $33,000 to $33,934 and converting the bets into ill-gotten gains of roughly $409,000 to $444,209, prosecutors said.
His next court appearance is scheduled for June, his attorneys said, and his military status remains "unsettled" while he is on leave.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources present this report neutrally: they rely on factual chronology, attribute allegations to prosecutors, and include defense and corporate responses without loaded adjectives. Editorial language is minimal, with balanced sourcing (prosecutor, defense attorney, judge, Polymarket CEO) and clear attribution of disputed claims, treating quotes as source content rather than framing.