Thief swallows $769,000 diamond earrings and asks if he’ll be busted for ‘what’s in my stomach’

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Jaythan Gilder (left) allegedly stole jewelry from a Tiffany & Co. store and had diamond earrings appear in an X-ray of his digestive tract (right) (Pictures: Orlando Police Department)

A man allegedly stole $769,000 in diamond earrings from Tiffany & Co. and swallowed them in an attempt to avoid being caught red handed.

Jaythan Lawrence Gilder, 32, posed as an Orlando Magic basketball player representative to get access to the luxury jewelry at the store at the Mall of Millenia, according to his arrest report obtained by WFLA.

Gilder was pulled over on Interstate 10 in Washington County and arrested for resisting and 48 outstanding warrants from Colorado.

While in a state trooper’s car, Gilder was apparently heard saying, ‘I should have thrown them out the window.’

A Florida jewelry thief swiped more than $700,000 in earrings and then swallowed the evidence just before he was arrested near Orlando last week, officials said. Jaythan Gilder, 32, told employees at Tiffany & Co. in the Mall at Millenia on Feb. 26 that he represented "a professional athlete" before being "shown several high-value pieces of jewelry, including two pairs of earrings worth $769,500," Orlando police said in a statement. Surveillance footage appeared to show Gilder sitting at a table inside the store with two pairs of earrings and a necklace in front of him. He then grabbed the earrings and took off, footage showed. The Florida Highway Patrol caught up with Gilder, was who "seen swallowing several objects believed to be the stolen earrings," police said.
Jaythan Gilder has been charged with first-degree felony grand theft, third-degree felony and robbery with a mask in connection (Pictures: Orlando Police Department)
This image provided by the Orlando District Attorney's office shows an x-ray showing earrings and a ring that were stolen from a Tiffany & Co. jewelry store in central Florida and were swallowed by the suspect. ( Orlando District Attorney's office via AP)
An X-ray scan shows earrings and a ring that were stolen from a Tiffany & Co. jewelry store in central Florida and were allegedly swallowed by the suspect (Picture: AP)

He then ‘spontaneously asked jail staff’ if he would be ‘charged with what’s in my stomach’, according to the arrest report with the Orlando Police Department.

Gilder was put through X-rays and the scans of his torso showed small, bright white objects in his digestive tract.

‘These foreign objects are suspected to be the Tiffany & Co. earrings taken in the robbery but will need to be collected by WCSO after they are passed through Gilder’s system prior to confirming,’ read the arrest report.

Gilder is accused of forcing his way out of the store with 8.19 carat diamond earrings worth $609,500 and 4.86 carat diamond earrings worth $160,000, as well as a ring worth $587,000 which has been recovered.

A Florida jewelry thief swiped more than $700,000 in earrings and then swallowed the evidence just before he was arrested near Orlando last week, officials said. Jaythan Gilder, 32, told employees at Tiffany & Co. in the Mall at Millenia on Feb. 26 that he represented "a professional athlete" before being "shown several high-value pieces of jewelry, including two pairs of earrings worth $769,500," Orlando police said in a statement. Surveillance footage appeared to show Gilder sitting at a table inside the store with two pairs of earrings and a necklace in front of him. He then grabbed the earrings and took off, footage showed. The Florida Highway Patrol caught up with Gilder, was who "seen swallowing several objects believed to be the stolen earrings," police said.
CCTV footage appeared to show Gilder sitting at a table inside the store with two pairs of earrings and a necklace in front of him (Picture: Orlando Police Department)

He has been charged with first-degree felony grand theft, third-degree felony and robbery with a mask in connection with the crime on February 26.

Gilder was being held by police in Orange County, Florida, according to court records.

On Wednesday, Orlando police spokeswoman Kaylee Bishop said she checked to see if the earrings were recovered, but did not have an update to provide.

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It appeared to not be Gilder’s first time targeting Tiffany & Co. He was charged with robbing another one of the company’s stories in Texas in 2022, cops said.

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