A Florida man is facing serious charges after allegedly swallowing stolen Tiffany & Co. jewelry worth a staggering $796,000 in Orlando. The bizarre incident unfolded on February 26, when the suspect, identified as Jaythan Lawrence Gilder, orchestrated a high-stakes heist at an Orlando Tiffany & Co. store.
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According to KARK, Gilder posed as a representative for an Orlando Magic basketball player to gain access to the expensive jewelry. Once inside, he forcibly escaped with the following items:
- 4.86-carat diamond earrings – valued at $160,000
- Luxury ring – valued at $587,000
- 8.19-carat earrings – valued at $609,500
Police later caught him on Interstate 10 in Washington County, where officers discovered he had swallowed the stolen jewelry in an apparent attempt to hide the evidence.
Arrest and Stomach X-Ray Reveal Shocking Truth
After his dramatic arrest, Gilder was taken to jail, where officers conducted a body scan to check for contraband. The scan confirmed the presence of foreign objects inside his stomach, believed to be the Tiffany earrings stolen during the robbery.
The arrest report stated:
“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.”
Adding to the bizarre nature of the case, Gilder reportedly asked jail staff if he would be charged for what was inside his stomach, before saying:
“I should have thrown them out of the window.”
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The Criminal History of Jaythan Lawrence Gilder
During the investigation, authorities uncovered that Gilder was already wanted in Colorado. Reports indicate he had 48 outstanding warrants related to various crimes, including fraud, theft, and resisting arrest.
Gilder was charged with first-degree grand theft and robbery with a mask. It was also revealed that he was charged with robbing another Tiffany’s store in Texas in 2022.
