Orange County, Fl—Jaythan Lawrence Gilder has been convicted on charges of robbery and grand theft for stealing nearly $800,000 worth of Tiffany & Co. jewelry from an Orlando mall and then swallowing it in attempt to hide the evidence.
Gilder, of Houston, was found guilty by a jury on Oct. 22, the office of Florida State Attorney Monique Worrell announced.
His sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 7.
According to the state attorney’s office, in late February 2025, Gilder, then 32, posed as a representative for an Orlando Magic player who was looking to purchase diamond earrings and a diamond ring from the Tiffany & Co. store at the Mall of Millenia in Orlando, Florida.
Two employees led him into a private viewing room because of the jewelry’s high value, where they showed him a pair of 4.86-carat diamond solitaire earrings ($160,000), a pair of 8.19-carat diamond solitaire earrings ($609,500), and a 5.16-carat diamond solitaire ring ($587,000).
According to the arrest warrant affidavit filed in the case, Gilder jumped out of his seat and grabbed all the merchandise, injuring one employee as he fled.
He got away with two pairs of earrings valued at a combined $769,500; a store employee slapped the ring out of his hand.
Detectives identified the getaway vehicle heading toward Texas and the Florida Highway Patrol stopped Gilder hours later due to a traffic violation.
According to the affidavit, Gilder swallowed several items as he was being taken into custody, and a live scan at the Washington County jail confirmed there were foreign objects in his stomach.
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