Jaythan Gilder, 32, of Houston, Texas, allegedly swallowed hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of stolen Tiffany jewelry in Orlando, Florida after being apprehended by police on Feb. 26.
He first entered the Tiffany store claiming he was negotiating a sale on behalf of an Orlando Magic basketball player, giving sales associates a false name. He was then brought into the Tiffany’s VIP room to look at a ring valued at $587,000 and two pairs of diamond earrings, valued at $160,000 and $609,500.
While in the VIP room, associates say the man jumped out of his seat and grabbed the valuable items. He attempted to leave the room by pushing and pulling at the sliding doors, and when Store Associate Amit Nayee tried to stop Gilder, he violently pushed and pulled at Nayee’s arms, leaving visible injuries according to police.
As he tried to escape, Gilder dropped the diamond ring but was able to hold onto the earrings, running through the store and dodging other staff members. One store employee told police she believed the thief had a gun.
Security cameras in the mall’s parking lot captured a man matching Gilder’s description getting into a blue 2024 Mitsubishi Outlander, and they were able to follow the car through public safety cameras and toll records. Florida Highway Patrol was then notified of the vehicle’s make, model, and license plate number.
Soon, Highway Patrol pulled over a car matching the description for a traffic violation, and the driver was arrested on resisting charges separate from the Tiffany’s incident. Police then identified the driver as Gilder and found earring forms and price tags from Tiffany & Co. on the floor of the vehicle.
In a shocking move, Gilder then allegedly swallowed several items while being taken into custody. He was brought to the Washington County Jail, where a live scan showed foreign objects in his stomach—what police suspect were the Tiffany earrings he left the store with, which have a combined value of $769,500.
Gilder even asked staff “Am I going to be charged with what’s in my stomach?”
An official with Washington County Jail said the earrings were not recovered while Gilder was there. He is now being held in the Orange County Jail, and was charged with grand theft in the first degree and robbery with a mask. He was not wearing an actual mask during the robbery, but was wearing a gauze nose covering, arm bandage, and a hat, and police said this “indicates by state statute” that he committed robbery with a mask since the items were used to conceal his identity.
“The Orlando police exhibited commendable performance in this case,” Tiffany VP of Global Protection Services Hank Siemers, CFI, told LPM. “Their quick response, ability to identify the suspect, and subsequent apprehension in Tallahassee—300 miles away—within six hours demonstrate their commitment and professionalism. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with them in recovering the stolen merchandise.”
Police said that Gilder has been charged in a nearly identical robbery from a Tiffany & Co. store in Texas in 2022. He is also being held on 48 separate “failure to appear” warrants out of the state of Colorado.
