A man posing as an NBA player agent swallowed nearly $1 million worth of stolen jewelry from Tiffany’s, according to court documents.
Jaythan Gilder, 32, allegedly robbed a Tiffany & Co. store in Orlando, Florida, on February 26, according to an arrest affidavit. The Houston-native allegedly told store employees his name was Shawn, who was there to negotiate a sale as an Orlando Magic basketball team representative.
Given the value of the jewelry sale discussed, Gilder was brought into the VIP room. Two pairs of diamond earrings and a diamond ring were on the negotiating table, with a combined sale price of $1,356,000.00.
However, before the deal could be consummated, Gilder allegedly leapt from his chair and attempted to flee with the merchandise. However, Gilder struggled with the sliding doors. A store employee tried to stop Gilder, but the faux agent “violently pushes and pulls his arms,” causing visible injuries, court documents state.
Gilder dropped the diamond ring but managed to escape with the earrings. According to police, he fled through the store’s front door and out of the mall.
“A man matching Gilder’s description was seen on mall parking lot security cameras getting into a blue 2024 Mitsubishi Outlander,” CBS News reports. “They were able to follow the car through public safety cameras and toll records. Florida Highway Patrol was notified of the vehicle’s make, model, and license plate number.
“Shortly before 8 p.m. local time on Feb. 26, the highway patrol pulled over a car matching that description for a traffic violation. The driver of the car allegedly resisted the investigation and was arrested on resisting charges separate from the incident. Highway patrol officials identified the driver as Gilder. Earring forms and price tags from Tiffany & Co. were found on the floor of the vehicle.”
However, as Gilder was being taken into custody, he swallowed some of the jewelry. A decision he regretted, as officers claim they heard him say, “I should have thrown them out the window.”
The value of the jewelry swallowed by Gilder is $769,500.
Once in jail, authorities claim Gilder asked, “Am I going to be charged with what’s in my stomach?”
He will face charges of grand theft in the first degree and robbery with a mask. The robbery with a mask charge resulted from the fact that Gilder was wearing a gauze nose bandage and a hat at the time of the incident.
Gilder is currently held in the Orange County Jail, police told CBS News.
