The other life of US soldier accused of betting on Maduro's removal

The other life of US soldier accused of betting on Maduro's removal17 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleSheila FlynnandNardine Saad@realDonaldTrumpMaduro was photographed on the USS Iwo Jima in handcuffs, wearing ear protectors and a type of blindfoldSpecial forces soldier Gannon Ken Van Dyke has been a busy man in recent years - both in and out of uniform.He rose to the rank of master sergeant at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he signed non-disclosure agreements to deal with classified operations, including - prosecutors allege - his role in the seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in early January.He set up a property company and bought at least six homes, overseeing long-term tenants and responding promptly to guests at his Airbnb cottage - a mountain retreat he called Daddy Bear Cave, complete with stylish finishes and rave reviews.And, according to federal charging papers, Van Dyke also used his knowledge of top-secret operations to trade on Polymarket, allegedly cashing out more than $400,000 (£296,000) after betting on Maduro's removal. The removal involved a covert military operation which prosecutors allege that Van Dyke helped plan and execute within the US military. Between 27 December and 2 January, the US Army officer purchased about $33,934 worth of bets related to Maduro and Venezuela, the indictment unsealed last week says. The bets predicted when US forces would go into Venezuela and when Maduro would be unseated, among others, according to the filing. Van Dyke faces charges of unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, theft of non-public government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud and making an unlawful monetary transaction.He is due to be arraigned - or formally charged - in a New York federal courthouse on Tuesday, US media report.In a separate lawsuit brought by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, an independent US federal agency, he is also accused of insider tradin...