A Texas man stole nearly $770,000 worth of diamond earrings from a Tiffany & Co. store in Florida by posing as a representative for an NBA player. But the real twist? He swallowed the evidence in a desperate attempt to avoid getting caught.
The bizarre crime took place at Orlando’s upscale Mall at Millenia on Feb. 26, 2025. Jaythan Gilder, a 32-year-old Texas man from Houston, went into the store dressed in a red Polo shirt, a red cap to complement it, and frayed blue jeans. He posed as being there on behalf of an Orlando Magic basketball player, a deception that gave him access to the shop’s VIP section—where expensive jewelry is kept hidden.
Store employees, believing they had a wealthy customer in their presence, brought out for Gilder three stunning pieces of jewelry that included a $587,000 diamond ring and two pairs of diamond earrings worth $160,000 and $609,500 apiece. The total worth of these pieces came to a stunning $1.3 million.
As much as the staff had anticipated that Gilder would seal a deal, he made a move. He snatched the jewelry and took off towards the door in a stunning twist. A shop worker tried to intervene, but Gilder allegedly pushed and pulled at the attendant violently before he escaped. The scene had been captured on surveillance cameras, and it became apparent that this had been a well-planned heist.
Gilder’s flight was short-lived. With assistance from toll records and mall surveillance, police quickly tracked him in his automobile to Texas. Florida Highway Patrolmen stopped him on Interstate 10 in Washington County, and inside, they found something strange and evidence of a crime.
At first, officers could not locate the stolen diamond earrings. They found no trace of them on Gilder or in his vehicle. A closer look at what he had on him revealed something else. Police recovered Tiffany & Co.’s price tags, receipts, and earring forms in his car—strong indicators that he had been in the shop.
Then, Gilder made a critical mistake. While being booked at the county jail, he allegedly asked staff,
“Will I be charged for what’s in my stomach?”
That question immediately raised suspicions, prompting authorities to conduct a body scan. The scan revealed foreign objects inside his stomach—likely the missing diamond earrings.
In a moment of regret, Gilder was overheard saying,
“I should have thrown them out the window.It was too late for that.”
As investigators dug into Gilder’s background, they found a troubling pattern. This wasn’t his first run-in with the law. He had a history of theft, including a previous robbery at a Tiffany & Co. store in Houston in 2022. In that case, forensic evidence linked him to the crime after a single hair from his beard was found at the scene.
His criminal record extends far beyond jewelry theft. Reports indicate Gilder has been arrested multiple times for various offenses over the past 13 years. Even more shocking, he reportedly has 48 outstanding warrants in Colorado, suggesting a long history of dodging law enforcement.
Now facing serious charges, including grand theft and robbery, Gilder could be looking at significant prison time. However, one unusual challenge in this case is that the primary evidence is still inside him. Authorities are waiting for nature to take its course before recovering the stolen earrings.
This is a medical and legal matter. In case he is found to have swallowed the jewelry as missing items, he will be guilty. But law enforcers should be cautious not to put him in harm’s way in recovering evidence because swallowing such things can lead to very serious medical conditions.
As far as stolen jewelry goes, everyone is looking in Florida’s prison, waiting for that final piece of evidence to come back to Tiffany & Co. Tune in for more on this bizarre crime drama!
