U.S. Soldier Charged with Using Classified Info to Profit from Prediction Market
by paulpauper on 4/23/2026, 10:37:01 PM
Comments
by: k310
Nabbing the little guy for show, very much like Henry Hill taking one for Paulie and the gang. The same gang that robbed the Lufthansa vault at JFK Airport, stealing six million dollars in cash and jewelry.<p>When the history of this administration is written, provided that history itself has not been completely rewritten a la "1984," Goodfellas will be required reading/watching.<p>And the highly profitable daily mood-induced oil price bets will just be forgotten.<p>Wilhoit's Law:<p>Wilhoit's law.<p>“Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to wit: There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect.”<p><a href="https://pylimitics.net/wilhoits-law/" rel="nofollow">https://pylimitics.net/wilhoits-law/</a>
4/23/2026, 11:08:04 PM
by: sigmar
Since this is relevant to many HN comments, copy-pasted the charges from the pdf indictment in the linked page:<p>Count 1 - Unlawful Use of Confidential Government Information for Personal Gain<p>Count 2 - Theft of Nonpublic Government Information<p>Count 3 - Commodities Fraud<p>Count 4 - Wire Fraud<p>Count 5 - Engaging in a Monetary Transaction in Property Derived from Specified Unlawful Activity
4/24/2026, 12:08:13 AM
by: AngryData
Perfectly fine for the rich and powerful, but don't you average citizen dare do anything like it! The US law and justice system is a complete joke.
4/24/2026, 12:05:15 AM
by: int32_64
It seems like it would be highly demoralizing to US soldiers that they are prosecuted for betting on the outcomes of the battles they are risking their lives for but those insider trading commanding them aren't.
4/24/2026, 12:30:05 AM
by: jh00ker
How many people in congress made the exact same bet on the exact same information, and for them it's "legal?"
4/23/2026, 11:29:02 PM
by: mrtksn
Are prediction markets regulated? Is this about breaking the laws regarding prediction markets or is this about leaking classified information? I skimmed but not sure still.<p>Someone more cynical can say that this is about protecting Thiel’s investment(if people think it’s rigged may stop playing) or making sure that only big G makes money with classified information.
4/24/2026, 12:01:58 AM
by: mil22
So crypto fraud gets deprioritized, with cases like the one against Nader Al-Naji dropped entirely, while Trump and his family profit massively from crypto and corruption themselves.<p>Yet prediction market fraud is made an enforcement priority, except to say that nobody close to Trump's own cabinet will be prosecuted - the little guys will be made an example of to make it seem like those at the top are taking the moral high-ground. "Every accusation is a confession."<p>I think we all can guess at the truth here.
4/24/2026, 12:35:11 AM
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4/24/2026, 12:07:40 AM
by: gnabgib
CNN (9 points) <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47882645">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47882645</a><p>ABCnews (5 points, a comment from you) <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47882789">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47882789</a><p>justice.gov (1 point, you've duped here) <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47883034">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47883034</a>
4/23/2026, 10:47:09 PM
by: chatmasta
I thought the names in the opening were the people being charged. Then I realized they were the prosecutors.
4/23/2026, 11:46:21 PM
by: yieldcrv
He screwed himself by taking steps to show how much of an amateur he was, by trying to delete his polymarket account and change the email address on his crypto exchange account<p>He should have just cashed out and donated 20% of it to Mar-a-Lago saying exactly what he did and a thank you. It's a little too low for a club membership but since the President's family is a shareholder of Polymarket I think it would have been seen as attracting liquidity<p>AG would have been instructed to stamp out the investigation, no charges would have been filed
4/24/2026, 12:23:09 AM
by: TZubiri
Nice. I'm against polymarket allowing bets on war precisely because of this. But I think we can all agree that perpetrators hold more liability than the platforms, they are the true cuplrits of warcrimes/treason.
4/23/2026, 11:07:02 PM
by: HoldOnAMinute
Everyone's a grifter these days.
4/24/2026, 12:09:24 AM
by: warlog
They should run for Congress
4/23/2026, 11:22:30 PM
by:
4/23/2026, 10:38:24 PM
by: rvz
In desperate times in the age of AI, one needs to grift in order to survive. This soldier was just doing that to maybe...enrich themselves like the politicians also breaking insider trading laws?<p>This is why no-one at the top institutions, politicians (Pelosi), presidents (Trump) and everyone else in proximity gets arrested or charged for insider trading in all forms. It doesn't apply to them.<p>This is a reminder that the rule makers are <i>allowed</i> to grift and break their own rules, but will arrest you for copying them or doing the same thing because this soldier was not part of their club.<p>He wasn't invited to their private insider group chat. So this solider was arrested and charged instead.
4/24/2026, 12:29:55 AM
by: sandworm101
What was his rank? What was his job? What was his clearance? How did he have access?<p>The canadians have the info. He was special forces. He was enlisted (not an officer). He was involved, or at least privy to, the planning of the Venezuela thing.<p><a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/11814801/maduro-capture-polymarket-us-army-charged/" rel="nofollow">https://globalnews.ca/news/11814801/maduro-capture-polymarke...</a>
4/23/2026, 11:33:40 PM
by: paulpauper
Feds waited no time to drop the indictment and make arrest. 3 months is lightning fast for a white collar crime. Wall St. ppl who commit insider trading pay a fine and admit no wrongdoing, discouraging the profits, and only after many years and trades have passed. Goes to show how elites play by a different set of rules. His mistake was not knowing he was not in that club. Have no idea why this was downvoted. I see so many other people who make this argument about privileged elites and always get upvoted.
4/23/2026, 10:40:27 PM
by: notTheLastMan
[dead]
4/24/2026, 12:21:59 AM
by: polski-g
How is this illegal? Polymarket isn't a US-regulated market.
4/23/2026, 11:12:12 PM