A federal case in New York has led to the arrest of a Google software engineer, Michele Spagnuolo, an Italian national, over allegations that he used private company data to gain an edge in online prediction betting.
According to a criminal complaint, Spagnuolo allegedly accessed internal Google search trend information and used it to place wagers on Polymarket.
Prosecutors say the trades were linked to outcomes involving the singer D4vd, including questions about his ranking in Google’s most searched people list.
One of the bets involved whether D4vd would appear in Google’s top five most searched people of 2025, as well as whether he would become the most searched individual of the year. At the time, the market had heavily discounted that outcome. However, investigators say internal Google data later showed a shift in search rankings placing D4vd at the top.
According to TMZ, the complaint states that Spagnuolo used an account named “AlphaRaccoon” to place the wagers, investing under $1,000 but eventually receiving about $1.2 million in returns tied to the Google search-related markets.
Prosecutors allege he attempted to hide how the profits were generated. The filing includes the statement:
“took deliberate steps to conceal his unlawful use of nonpublic information by attempting to obscure the source and ownership of his unlawful proceeds.”
Spagnuolo has been charged with wire fraud, commodities fraud, and money laundering. He appeared in court, did not enter a plea, and was released on a $2.25 million bond.
Authorities also referenced that D4vd is currently detained in connection with a separate m%rder case involving Celeste Rivas Hernandez, for which he has pleaded not guilty.
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