ORLANDO, Fla. – A daring yet ill-fated jewel heist took a bizarre turn last week when an alleged thief swallowed nearly $769,000 worth of Tiffany & Co. earrings in a desperate attempt to avoid capture, according to Orlando police.
Jaythan Lawrence Gilder, 32, managed to gain access to high-end jewelry at an Orlando Tiffany & Co. store on Feb. 26 by posing as a representative for an Orlando Magic player, local outlet WFLA reported. However, what began as a bold con quickly unraveled into a case of extreme and ultimately futile deception.
A high-stakes grab and a desperate escape
Authorities say Gilder grabbed two sets of diamond earrings—one 4.86 carat pair valued at $160,000 and another 8.10-carat pair worth a staggering $609,500—before sprinting out of the store. His escape attempt, however, was shortlived.
Police intercepted Gilder on Interstate 10, where he was initially charged with resisting arrest. But despite his suspected involvement in the theft, authorities faced a major hurdle—they couldn’t find the stolen jewelry on him.
“What’s in my stomach?” The confession that gave it away
While in custody, Gilder reportedly blurted out an incriminating question to jail staff:
“Am I going to be charged with what’s in my stomach?”
That spontaneous remark led authorities to conduct a body scan, revealing foreign objects moving through his digestive tract—suspected to be the missing Tiffany earrings.
“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 before confirming,” the arrest report stated.
A state trooper at the Orange County jail later overheard Gilder regretting his tactics, reportedly saying, “I should have thrown them out the window.”
A notorious history of jewel heists
This is not Gilder’s first brush with the law. He has 48 outstanding warrants in Colorado and had previously been charged in connection with the robbery of another Tiffany & Co. store in Texas in 2022, according to authorities.
Following his latest failed heist, Gilder now faces charges of first-degree grand theft and robbery with a mask—and a rather unusual evidence recovery process.
