US Man Convicted After Swallowing $769,500 Tiffany Earrings in Jewellery Heist
A Florida man, Jaythan Gilder, has been convicted of robbery and grand theft after stealing two sets of diamond earrings worth a combined $769,500 from a Tiffany & Co. store in Orlando and swallowing them in an attempt to conceal the evidence.
According to a statement by State Attorney Monique Worrell, a jury found Gilder guilty over the incident, which occurred in February 2025 at the luxury jewellery store in the Mall at Millenia.
Reports by WFLA said Gilder, who was 32 at the time, allegedly posed as a representative of an Orlando Magic basketball player to gain access to expensive jewellery before taking two sets of earrings.
The stolen items included a 4.86-carat set valued at $160,000 and an 8.10-carat set worth $609,500.
Prosecutors said Gilder also used force against a store employee while fleeing the shop.
He was later stopped by Florida Highway Patrol troopers on Interstate 10 and initially faced a charge of resisting arrest. The stolen earrings were not immediately recovered, as investigators could not locate them during the initial arrest.
However, while in custody at the Orange County jail, Gilder reportedly asked staff whether he would be charged for “what’s in my stomach,” according to an arrest report reviewed by WFLA.
A trooper also reportedly overheard him saying, “I should have thrown them out the window.”
Following a body scan, detectives allegedly discovered the earrings moving through his digestive tract. Gilder was subsequently kept in hospital for nearly two weeks until the jewellery passed from his system.
According to a police report, the recovered earrings were cleaned by Tiffany’s master jeweller before being handed over to a company security manager.
Gilder is scheduled to be sentenced on December 7.
US Man Convicted After Swallowing $769,500 Tiffany Earrings in Jewellery Heist