6th March, 2025 – Florida, USA
In a bizarre and brazen robbery that stunned authorities and high-end jewelry buffs alike, a Texas man was charged with ingesting nearly $770,000 worth of diamond earrings after a brazen heist of a Tiffany & Co. jewelry shop in Orlando, Florida. Jaythan Gilder, 32, of Houston, now faces several felony charges following the brazen burglary, in which he impersonated an NBA representative and made a frantic offer to incinerate the loot inside, literally.
On February 26th, as reported, Gilder visited the Tiffany & Co. within an Orlando shopping mall dressed in a signature style: red hat, red Polo, and torn blue jeans clearly shredded. In the arrest affidavit obtained by GistNexus, it is reported that Gilder introduced himself at the store to employees as “Shawn” and declared that he was negotiating a jewelry purchase on behalf of a name-withheld player of the Orlando Magic basketball team.
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Because the estimated value of the transaction was so great, Gilder was escorted to the store’s VIP room in order to perform a personal consultation. The merchandise involved consisted of two pair of diamond earrings costing $160,000 and $609,500 each, as well as a diamond ring with an estimate of $587,000.
The affidavit states that, in the course of the consultation, Gilder allegedly made a sudden move, jumping from his chair and snatching the jewelry. He attempted to exit the VIP room, physically battling the sliding doors. Store staff Amit Nayee attempted to act, attempting to stop Gilder, but was allegedly resisted and suffered visible bruises on his arms.
In the course of the subsequent struggle, the diamond ring was knocked off, but Gilder retained the earrings. He forced the doors open far enough to effect his escape, running through the store and dodging other workers. One worker reported she was in fear that Gilder was armed. He eventually escaped out the front doors of the store and out of the mall.
Security cameras at the mall caught a man of Gilder’s appearance entering a blue 2024 Mitsubishi Outlander in the parking lot. Police tracked the vehicle using public safety cameras and toll records. The Florida Highway Patrol was alerted to the make, model, and license plate of the vehicle.
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Later that night, just before 8 p.m. local time, highway patrol officers stopped a car that matched the description. The driver, who was later identified as Gilder, reportedly resisted the investigation and was first arrested on resisting charges. A search of the car produced earring shapes and Tiffany & Co. price tags on the floor.
During his arrest, Gilder allegedly ingested several things. According to the affidavit, the highway patrol officers heard Gilder mumbling incoherently to himself that “I should have tossed them out of the window” while gesturing in a gesture of desperation of disposal of stolen commodities.
Gilder was brought to Washington County Jail, where he underwent a live scan, and foreign objects were removed from his stomach. Foreign objects are suspected by police authorities to be the missing Tiffany earrings, which have a total worth of $769,500.
Nayee later identified Gilder in a lineup at the jail. Gilder allegedly inquired of jail staff, “Am I going to get charged with what’s in my stomach?” wondering if there are criminal charges for this unconventional method of eliminating evidence.
At the time of this filing, court documents do not show whether law enforcement officers were successful in recovering the earrings. A Washington County Jail representative confirmed that the earrings were not recovered when Gilder was in jail. Gilder is currently being held at the Orange County Jail.
Gilder was accused of first-degree grand theft and robbery with a mask, both of which are felonies. Even though not wearing a common mask during the robbery, police say, his bandage on his nose and his arm bandage, capped with a hat, were as good as hiding his identity, so he qualified under the state statute for robbery with a mask.
A review of Gilder’s criminal history revealed a prior charge for a similar robbery at a Tiffany & Co. in Texas in 2022. He is also being held on 48 separate “failure to appear” warrants out of Colorado.
This situation presents a muddled mix of audacity and bad judgment. Gilder’s attempt to swallow the evidence as reported should be questioned regarding his motivation and knowledge of the potential consequences. The fact that he had already been the target of numerous warrants and was caught in the past with the same charges suggests a trend toward increasingly criminal activity.
The legal fallout for Gilder is complex. In the unlikely event that the earrings are really in him, obtaining them will not be an easy feat. Assuming they can be obtained, the integrity of evidence may be altered, something likely to affect its value.
A breaking news report, this article will continue to be updated until further information surfaces.
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Reported By GistNexus Team and Edited by Mr. Chibueze Onwuka