Man Allegedly Swallows Tiffany & Co. Earrings Worth $769K After Robbery at Florida Store: Reports

A man has been charged after he allegedly swallowed $769,000 worth of Tiffany & Co. earrings in a botched robbery, according to reports. 

Jaythan Gilder allegedly swallowed two pairs of diamond earrings after fleeing the Tiffany & Co. store at the Mall at Millenia in Orlando, Florida, on Feb. 26, according to local media outlets WFLA, Fox 35 Orlando and WKMG.

According to an arrest affidavit from the Orlando Police Department, per the outlets, authorities said Gilder, 32, gained access to the jewelry after he impersonated a representative for an Orlando Magic player who was interested in making a purchase and was taken to a VIP room to see the earrings.

In surveillance footage obtained by Fox 35 Orlando, Gilder, who is from Texas, was seen grabbing jewelry from a counter in the store and attempting to leave the room. Gilder allegedly stole two pairs of diamond earrings, worth $769,500 altogether, and a ring worth $587,000, which was later recovered by police.

Police located the suspect’s vehicle on Interstate 10 in Washington County, heading towards Texas, and he was charged for resisting arrest during a traffic stop. He did not receive a theft charge as the jewelry could not be found on him at the time, WFLA reported. 

However, police said during Gilder’s arrest on Feb. 28 he “swallowed several items,” according to the arrest affidavit, per WKMG.

A body scan taken in jail then appeared to confirm the investigators’ suspicions as officials spotted “foreign objects” in Gilder’s stomach that they believed to be the missing earrings.

“These foreign objects are suspected to be the Tiffany & Co. earrings taken in the robbery but will need to be collected by WCSO after they are passed through Gilder’s system prior to confirming,” the arrest affidavit stated, per WFLA.

According to the arrest affidavit, per the outlet, Gilder “spontaneously asked jail staff” if he was going to be “charged with what’s in my stomach.” He also reportedly said, “I should have thrown them out the window.”

Gilder was charged with first-degree grand theft and robbery with a mask. He also has 48 outstanding warrants out of Colorado, according to reports. 

Fox 35 Orlando reported that “authorities found Tiffany & Co. earring forms, price tags, receipts, and a cell phone in his vehicle,” per the arrest affidavit. 

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Gilder was previously linked to a robbery at another Tiffany & Co. store in Houston in 2022, per Fox 35 Olando. According to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, forensics tied him to the theft after a single hair from his beard was found at the scene.

The defendant has been arrested multiple times for theft over the last 13 years, according to reports. 

PEOPLE has reached out to the Orlando Police Department for comment.