Thief swallowed $760,000 Tiffany diamond earrings, jury finds him guilty
Police used an X-ray to locate the stolen jewellery inside the suspect's body
A man who swallowed stolen diamond earrings worth more than $760,000 to conceal them from police has been found guilty of robbing a Tiffany & Co. store in Florida.
A jury convicted Jaythan Gilder of robbery and grand theft on Thursday, October 22, following a trial over the February 2025 theft at the Mall at Millenia in Orlando.
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The case drew attention after a body scan revealed the stolen jewellery inside Gilder’s digestive system. Investigators later recovered the earrings and confirmed they matched the items taken from the store.
Posed as buyer for basketball player
Prosecutors say Gilder entered the Tiffany & Co. store on February 26, 2025, claiming to represent a professional basketball player interested in buying expensive jewellery.
Store employees took him to a private room to examine several pieces.
Instead of completing a purchase, Gilder grabbed diamond earrings valued at more than $760,000 and forced his way out of the store.
One employee was injured during the confrontation.
Investigators used surveillance footage to identify his vehicle and track it as he travelled across Florida.
Swallowed diamonds during police stop
Florida Highway Patrol troopers later stopped Gilder in Washington County, where they noticed him attempting to swallow several objects.
Despite officers’ efforts to stop him, he swallowed the items.
A body scan at the Washington County Jail subsequently revealed foreign objects inside his digestive system.
According to the arrest report, a trooper heard Gilder say he should have thrown the items out of the window.
He also asked jail staff whether he would face charges for what was inside his stomach.
Investigators recovered the earrings after they passed through his digestive system.
Tiffany & Co. returned the jewellery for cleaning and examination. A jeweller confirmed that the serial numbers matched those of the stolen earrings.
Jury delivers guilty verdict
Florida State Attorney Monique Worrell announced on October 22 that a jury had found Gilder guilty of robbery and grand theft.
Prosecutors said the case involved not only the loss of expensive jewellery but also violence against store employees.
The court has not yet announced Gilder's sentencing date.
