Orlando police have recovered two sets of Tiffany & Co. diamond earrings worth a total of $769,500 (about Shs Shs1.8 billion) after an alleged thief swallowed them during his arrest over two weeks ago.
Jaythan Gilder, 32, allegedly ingested the earrings on February 26 as officers took him into custody. Detectives monitored him at an Orlando hospital for over 12 days until the stolen jewelry passed through his system.
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Gilder faces charges of first-degree grand theft and robbery with a mask. Police claim he posed as an assistant to an NBA player to gain access to a VIP showroom at a Tiffany & Co. store in Orlando, where he allegedly distracted employees and fled with the earrings. During his escape, he reportedly dropped a diamond ring worth $587,000.
Authorities later apprehended Gilder and observed him “swallowing several objects believed to be the stolen earrings.” While being transported to jail, he allegedly remarked, “I should have thrown them out the window,” and later asked, “Am I going to be charged with what’s in my stomach?”
An X-ray taken at the hospital revealed a foreign object in his body. After about two weeks, the fourth and final stolen earring was recovered on March 12. Tiffany’s has since verified the jewelry and cleaned it.
Gilder remains in custody at Orange County Jail. Police allege he was involved in a 2022 Tiffany & Co. robbery in Texas and has 48 outstanding warrants in Colorado.
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