$700K in diamond earrings recovered after Orlando theft suspect allegedly swallowed them, deputies say | FOX 35 Orlando
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$700K in diamond earrings recovered after Orlando theft suspect allegedly swallowed them, deputies say

By and FOX 35 Digital Staff
Published  March 22, 2025 4:05pm EDT
Orlando
FOX 35 Orlando

Diamonds recovered after theft suspect allegedly swallows them

Five diamond earrings have made their way through a man's stomach, and tonight they're back at the jewelry store. Jaythan Glider is accused of stealing the diamonds from a Tiffany Store in Orlando. When he was caught, he allegedly swallowed them.

The Brief

    • More than $700K in diamond earrings have made their way through a man's stomach and been returned to a jewelry store after they were allegedly swallowed during an Orlando theft.
    • Texas man Jaythan Gilder was arrested earlier this month after he allegedly stole $769,500 worth of jewelry from Tiffany & Co. at the Mall at Millenia.
    • Gilder is currently still sitting in an Orange County Jail cell facing charges including robbery with a mask and first-degree grand theft.

ORLANDO, Fla. - More than $700K in diamond earrings have made their way through a man's stomach and been returned to a jewelry store after they were allegedly swallowed during an Orlando theft. 

Texas man Jaythan Gilder, 32, was arrested earlier this month after he allegedly stole $769,500 worth of jewelry from Tiffany & Co. at the Mall at Millenia. Authorities say Gilder, who has a history of similar crimes, attempted to swallow the stolen earrings during his arrest. 

Detectives had been waiting for Gilder to pass the items they detected in X-Rays to see if they were the stolen earrings.

More than $700K in diamond earrings have made their way through a man's stomach and been returned to a jewelry store after they were allegedly swallowed during an Orlando theft. (Credit: Orlando Police Department)

Latest updates in the case

What they're saying:

While in jail, Gilder reportedly asked if he would be charged for what was inside his stomach. He also told officers he "should have thrown them out the window."

"After the diamonds were expelled from his sytem, we were able to bring the diamonds to Tiffany's … they confirmed they were the diamonds stolen," Orlando Police Department (OPD) Detective Aaron Goss said. 

OPD detectives said they were able to recover three of the four earrings stolen from Tiffany's, as well as two other unidentified diamond earrings, on March 10. The final Tiffany's earring was then recovered on March 12.

Gilder is currently still sitting in an Orange County Jail cell facing charges including robbery with a mask and first-degree grand theft.

Texas man Jaythan Gilder, 32, is currently still sitting in an Orange County Jail cell facing charges including robbery with a mask and first-degree grand theft. (Credit: Orlando Police Department)

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Texas man pretends to represent Orlando Magic player

The backstory:

According to the OPD, Gilder was caught on camera snatching two pairs of diamond earrings from the Tiffany & Co. at the Mall of Millenia on Feb. 26.

Gilder walked into the store without an appointment and claimed to be representing an unknown Orlando Magic player, according to the arrest affidavit.

Gilder was eventually taken to a VIP room where he was shown several pieces of jewelry:

  • 4.86 carat diamond solitaire earrings ($160,000)
  • 8.19 carat solitaire earrings ($609,500)
  • 5.61 carat diamond solitaire ring ($587,0000)

Man accused of swallowing luxury earrings

Larry Lawton, a crime prevention specialist, joins FOX 35 to talk about Jaythan Gilder, who was recently arrested for allegedly stealing $769,500 worth of jewelry from Tiffany & Co. at the Mall at Millenia. Authorities say Gilder, who has a history of similar crimes, attempted to swallow the stolen earrings during his arrest and now faces charges of robbery with a mask and first-degree grand theft.

During the interaction, Gilder is seen on surveillance video grabbing the jewelry from the counter and attempting to leave the room. He struggled with the sliding glass doors and forced them open. The employee who was in the room tried to grab the jewelry out of his hand, but Gilder grabbed and pushed the employee's arm, the report said.

According to an arrest affidavit, the employee was injured trying to stop Gilder from leaving the store. Gilder was able to escape the mall and make it to his car. 

Police said they reviewed surveillance video at the mall to locate Gilder's vehicle, which was on Interstate 10 in the Florida Panhandle, appearing to be headed towards Texas. 

Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) conducted a traffic stop, in which Gilder resisted and was arrested on related charges.

In his vehicle, authorities found Tiffany & Co. earring forms, price tags, receipts and a cell phone, according to the arrest report.

The X-Ray

According to the arrest report, Gilder swallowed several objects as he was being arrested in Washington County. Once at the jail, officials conducted a live scan and notified "foreign objects" in his stomach. Officials believed those were the missing earrings from the Tiffany & Co. store in Orlando. 

An X-Ray showed items believed to be stolen merchandise inside Gilder’s stomach. The earrings have a combined weight of 13.05 carats, worth $769,500.

X-Ray images helped detectives spot and identify the diamond earrings in Gilder's stomach. (Credit: Orlando Police Department)

Additional related crimes discovered

Dig deeper:

A check of Gilder's history, according to authorities, showed 48 failure to appear warrants out of the state of Colorado.

From swipes to smash-and-grabs, records show Gilder has been arrested multiple times for theft. His arrest records span back at least 13 years, and his target always appears to be expensive jewelry.

In 2022, Gilder was busted after stealing from another Tiffany’s store, this one in the Houston area. Forensics detectives out of Montgomery County tied him to the crime using DNA evidence from a single hair left at the scene. Per the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, the hair came from Gilder’s beard. It was found after he dropped a mask he had allegedly worn during the heist.

In a pawn shop theft in 2014, Gilder’s blood was recovered at the scene after he used a pickaxe to break into a jewelry case.

In 2023, documents show Gilder was sentenced to two years in a Texas jail – with 192 days credit.

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The Source: This story was written based on information gathered from previous reporting, as well as information shared by the Orlando Police Department and the arrest warrant submitted to an Orange County Judge, which included the alleged narrative, surveillance photos, witness statements and investigative details.

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