Judge considers dismissal bid in soldier's Polymarket case

A federal judge in New York heard arguments on Wednesday on whether to dismiss charges against a United States Army soldier accused of using classified military information to win money on the prediction platform Polymarket. The Washington Examiner reported that Master Sergeant Gannon Ken Van Dyke allegedly used classified details about an operation targeting Nicolas Maduro to make over 400,000 dollars in trades. [1]

United States District Judge Margaret Garnett questioned lawyers regarding the government charges and the legal basis for applying commodities and fraud laws to the trades. The Washington Examiner noted that the judge took the defense motions under advisement and did not issue an immediate ruling. [1]

The underlying military action occurred on January 3, 2026, when United States forces launched Operation Absolute Resolve in Venezuela. American military forces captured Nicolas Maduro and transported him to New York City to face drug trafficking charges. [4]

Polymarket is a peer-to-peer prediction market platform powered by blockchain technology where users trade on the probabilities of global events. The court has not yet set a date for the ruling on the motions to dismiss. [1][6]