Investigators recovered $770,000 worth of stolen Tiffany & Co. earrings last week after the alleged thief who swallowed the jewelry “expelled” them from his system, Florida police said.
The Orlando Police Department announced the recovery of the stolen jewelry from suspect Jaythan Gilder in a Facebook post on Friday.
“Detectives monitored Jaythan Gilder for more than a dozen days at the hospital before they were able to match the serial numbers on the jewelry with the items that were stolen from Tiffany & Co.,” the caption read.
In a video accompanying the post, Detectives Aaron Goss and Tiffany Perez shared details from the investigation.
“Later, after the diamonds were expelled from his system, we were able to bring them to Tiffany’s, where they were cleaned, and their master jeweler confirmed the inscription and serial numbers matched the stolen pieces,” Goss explained.
“I’m very proud of our team for all of our work. We acted quickly and diligently, working together tirelessly for days on end,” Perez added.
Gilder’s alleged heist unfolded on Feb. 26 at Tiffany & Co. in the Mall at Millenia, where he allegedly posed as a representative for an Orlando Magic basketball player.
He was escorted to a VIP room and presented with several luxury jewelry items, including a pair of 4.86-carat diamond earrings worth $160,000, a pair of 8.19-carat diamond earrings worth $609,000 and a 5.61-carat diamond ring worth $587,000, the court document said.
Gilder allegedly attempted to grab the jewelry, during which he struggled with employees, ultimately dropping the ring. However, authorities say he managed to swallow the diamonds before being taken into custody.
A scan at the Washington County Jail later revealed “foreign objects in his stomach,” according to the affidavit.
Police also noted that Gilder has a history of jewelry heists, having pulled off “a similar robbery” at a Tiffany & Co. in The Woodlands, Texas, in 2022. Additionally, he has 48 outstanding warrants in Colorado.
Gilder is facing charges of grand theft and robbery with a mask.
As of Tuesday, he remains in custody in Orange County. It was not immediately clear whether he had legal representation.
