ORLANDO, Fla. — A Florida man accused of stealing $769,500 worth of earrings from a Tiffany & Co. store at an Orlando mall and then swallowing the jewelry after his arrest was found guilty on Oct. 22, prosecutors announced.
According to a news release from the office of State Attorney Monique Worrell, an Orange County jury found Jaythan Gilder was found guilty of robbery and grand theft after a trial involving the theft of jewelry from the store at Mall at Millenia in Orlando.
Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 7, prosecutors said.
Man who swallowed $769,500 in stolen Tiffany earrings found guilty in Orlando robbery https://t.co/ucTJFeMNuF https://t.co/QPIUvyuU0k
— WFTV Channel 9 (@WFTV) October 23, 2026
Investigators said Gilder entered the Tiffany & Co. store on Feb. 26, 2025, claiming to represent a professional basketball player from the NBA’s Orlando Magic who was interested in buying jewelry, WFTV reported.
According to court records, the man claimed his name was Shawn and asked about diamond earrings and a diamond ring. Because of the value of the jewelry he was inquiring about, which was more than $1 million, he was taken to a VIP room.
Prosecutors said Gilder grabbed the merchandise and used force against a store employee as he attempted to escape.
[ Alleged thief swallows $800K of jewelry from Tiffany & Co. ]
The employee suffered “visible injuries on his right arm.” While fleeing the store, Gilder also allegedly dropped the 5.61-carat diamond ring valued at $587,000.
Detectives identified the getaway vehicle and tracked its route toward Texas, WFTV reported. Florida Highway Patrol troopers stopped it on Interstate 10 in Washington County after spotting it traveling without rear lights, according to Orlando police.
While being taken into custody, Gilder resisted arrest and was observed swallowing objects investigators believed were the stolen earrings.
Gilder was transferred to Orlando and taken to an area hospital on Feb. 27, 2025, WFTV reported. Detectives recovered three of the four stolen earrings on March 10 and the final earring on March 12, according to the television station
Serial numbers confirmed that the pieces were taken from the jewelry store.
“This case involved not only a significant financial loss, but also the safety of employees who were confronted with violence while simply doing their jobs,” Worrell said in a statement. “This verdict sends a clear message that violence and theft will not be tolerated in our community.”
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