Google Engineer Charged with Fraud for Using Confidential Data

Google software engineer Michele Spagnuolo has been charged with commodities fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering, according to a report by Bitcoin.com. The charges stem from allegations that Spagnuolo used confidential Google data to profit from Polymarket contracts. According to ChainCatcher, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) stated that Spagnuolo earned over $1.2 million through a Polymarket account named 'AlphaRaccoon.' The case centers on Google's '2025 Annual Search Results.' Prosecutors allege that Spagnuolo accessed internal search ranking data labeled as 'Google Confidential' and used this information to trade contracts related to the most-searched individuals and the top five searched individuals for 2025. Authorities claim that he invested approximately $2.75 million between October 15 and December 4, 2025.