Police stumbled upon a bizarre twist in their investigation of a high-profile jewelry heist after arresting a suspect last month.
Jaythan Lawrence Gilder, 32, was taken into custody following what authorities believe was a daring attempt to steal luxury jewelry worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Gilder allegedly posed as a representative for an NBA player to gain access to high-end pieces at a Tiffany & Co. store in Orlando. However, according to police, once inside, he made a break for it—grabbing whatever he could and sprinting toward the exit.
Orlando authorities reported that Gilder forcibly escaped the store with jewelry totaling an astonishing $769,500. Among the stolen items were a pair of 4.86-carat diamond earrings valued at $160,000 and another pair of 8.19-carat diamond earrings worth a staggering $609,500.
Additionally, he allegedly took off with a $587,000 ring, which was later recovered.
Surveillance footage captured the dramatic moment he fled, and a store employee was injured while trying to stop him, according to police reports.
Law enforcement eventually caught up with Gilder on Interstate 10 in Washington County, pulling him over as he allegedly attempted to flee to Texas. He was arrested on multiple charges, including resisting arrest, and was found to have 48 outstanding warrants in Colorado.
But here’s where things took an even stranger turn—when officers went to recover the stolen jewelry, they discovered that some of it was missing.
The reason? Gilder is accused of swallowing a portion of the stolen goods.
An X-ray taken at the jail later confirmed the presence of at least 13 carats of diamonds inside his stomach—valued at nearly $800,000.
A police report noted:
“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 pass through Gilder’s system prior to confirmation.”
That’s one recovery process nobody is looking forward to…
While in custody, Gilder reportedly asked jail staff whether he would be charged for the jewelry found inside him. Officers also claim they overheard him muttering that he should have just thrown them out the window.
He is now facing charges of first-degree grand theft and robbery with a mask.
