An Orange County jury has convicted Jaythan Gilder of robbery and grand theft in connection with the February 2025 theft at a Tiffany & Co. store inside Orlando's Mall at Millenia, the office of State Attorney Monique Worrell announced on October 22, 2026. Gilder is scheduled to be sentenced on December 7, 2026.

Source: State Attorney Monique Worrell announcement, via WKRC / EuropeSays

Prosecutors said Gilder posed as a representative negotiating a jewellery purchase for a player on the Orlando Magic basketball team and was shown high-end pieces in a private viewing room. He then grabbed two pairs of diamond earrings — one 4.86-carat set valued at $160,000 and one 8.10-carat set valued at $609,500, a combined $769,500 — and used force against a store employee while fleeing, according to the State Attorney's account reported by WFLA.

Source: WFLA reporting, via Internewscast

Florida Highway Patrol troopers later stopped Gilder on Interstate 10 in Washington County. Dashcam footage showed troopers ordering him to open his mouth as he swallowed the earrings, prosecutors and earlier arrest reporting said. He was initially arrested on a resisting charge because the earrings could not be found at the scene.

While in custody, Gilder reportedly asked jail staff whether he would be charged with 'what's in my stomach,' according to the arrest report. A body scan showed the earrings inside his digestive system, and authorities monitored him for nearly two weeks until the jewellery passed through. Police said the recovered earrings were cleaned by a Tiffany master jeweller and returned to the company.

'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 Worrell said in her statement announcing the verdict.