Jewel Thief’s Bold Heist Ends with Swallowed Tiffany Earrings and Arrest

A recent incident in Florida revealed a daring theft at a Tiffany & Co. store, where a man attempted to escape with nearly $770,000 worth of jewelry.

Authorities tracked down Jaythan Lawrence Gilder, 32, after an alert was issued regarding a robbery at the store. Video footage shows officers from the Florida Highway Patrol stopping Gilder on Interstate 10. As officers approached, Gilder resisted, thrashing around and refusing to open his mouth, prompting officers to wrestle him to the ground and demand he do so.

Inside the store, Gilder, posing as a representative for an Orlando Magic player, gained access to the VIP room under false pretenses, claiming he was negotiating a jewelry sale. Footage shows him telling staff his name was Shawn. During the robbery, he snatched two sets of valuable earrings: one weighing 4.86 carats valued at $160,000, and another 8.10 carats worth over $600,000.

Later, Gilder was stopped by police. While in custody, he inquired if he would be charged for items he had ingested, revealing suspicions that he had swallowed stolen jewelry.

He was charged with resisting arrest (as the stolen earrings couldn’t be recovered) and later underwent medical examinations revealing foreign objects in his digestive system. It was confirmed he had swallowed the earrings, which took more than two weeks to pass through his system. The jewelry was cleaned and handed over to store security.

Gilder faces multiple warrants and previous charges, including robberies from other Tiffany stores, and is also wanted for a theft in Texas from 2022. Authorities continue their investigation into his criminal activities.