ORLANDO, Fla. — A jury found a man guilty of robbery and grand theft after he stole $769,500 worth of earrings from Tiffany & Co. at the Mall at Millenia and swallowed them following his arrest, according to the State Attorney’s Office.
The verdict against Jaythan Gilder was announced on Thursday. Sentencing information will be released later, prosecutors said.
Investigators said Gilder entered the store on Feb. 26, 2025, claiming to represent a professional basketball player interested in buying jewelry.
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Employees showed him several high-value pieces, including two pairs of earrings. Gilder grabbed the earrings, used force against an employee who tried to stop him and fled in a vehicle, authorities said.
Detectives identified the getaway vehicle and tracked its route toward Texas. Florida Highway Patrol troopers stopped it on Interstate 10 in Washington County after spotting it traveling without rear lights, according to Orlando police.
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While being taken into custody, Gilder resisted arrest and was seen swallowing objects investigators believed were the stolen earrings, police said.
He was transferred to Orlando and taken to a hospital on Feb. 27, 2025. Detectives recovered three of the four stolen earrings on March 10 and the final earring on March 12. Serial numbers confirmed that the pieces were taken from Tiffany & Co., police said.
“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,” State Attorney Monique Worrell said in a statement.
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