VIDEO: Florida man convicted of stealing and swallowing $760,000 worth of Tiffany jewelry

A Florida man has been convicted of robbery and grand theft after stealing more than $760,000 worth of diamond earrings from a Tiffany & Co. store in Orlando and swallowing the jewelry in an attempt to conceal the evidence.

Jaythan Gilder was found guilty by a jury in connection with the February 2025 theft at the Mall at Millenia, State Attorney Monique Worrell announced Thursday.

According to reports, Gilder posed as a representative of an Orlando Magic basketball player to gain access to expensive jewelry. He then grabbed two sets of diamond earrings: one valued at $160,000 and weighing 4.86 carats, and another valued at $609,500 and weighing 8.10 carats.

Prosecutors said Gilder used force against a store employee as he fled. He was later stopped on Interstate 10, where Florida Highway Patrol troopers struggled to prevent him from swallowing the stolen items, according to dashcam footage.

Gilder was initially arrested on a resisting arrest charge, but the jewelry could not be located at the time. While in jail, he reportedly asked staff whether he would face charges for “what’s in my stomach.”

A subsequent body scan revealed the earrings inside his digestive tract. Gilder remained hospitalized for nearly two weeks until the jewelry passed through his system. The pieces were then cleaned by a Tiffany master jeweler and returned to the company.

“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.

Gilder is scheduled to be sentenced on December 7.