Florida Man jewelry thief swallows $770K worth of Tiffany earrings just before he was arrested
In a bizarre robbery that takes the age-old adage “hard to swallow” to new heights, a Florida man tried to get rid of evidence in what could be the most literal use of the phrase – by swallowing almost $770,000 worth of Tiffany & Co. diamond earring as he was being arrested.
The Heist and Impulsive Decision
Jaythan Lawrence Gilder allegedly swiped two sets of diamond earrings that cost an eye-popping $769,500 from a Tiffany & Co. store inside an Orlando mall. When police pulled him over, Gilder made the instant medical-school student’s nightmare decision – he swallowed the precious jewelry in what would seem to be a last-ditch effort to dispose of evidence.
The robbery happened last week when Gilder, according to reports, pretended to be an agent of an NBA player while undertaking the robbery. The getaway of the luxurious material was not successful as the police apprehended him.
The Arrest and Discovery
When questioned by police on the side of the road, they could not have known what they were in for. Under arrest, detectives allege, the suspected thief ingested two sets of diamond earrings. Apparently feeling the hopelessness of his endeavor, Gilder allegedly responded to authorities that he’d like to be charged with “what’s in my stomach” – a nice gesture towards his situation, if not prescience.
“Wrong kind of carats,” derided the New York Post in the wake of the incident, citing the oddity of diamonds – normally of carat weight – as an alibi.
Evidence in Plain View… Via X-Ray
Police later confirmed their suspicions with medical scans. An X-ray easily confirmed the diamond earrings in Gilder’s stomach, definitive proof of both the robbery and his new method of disposal. The scans were subsequently published by a number of news organizations, displaying the unmistakable silhouette of the jewelry in the suspect’s digestive system.
The police are now confronted with what the South China Morning Post termed quite wishfully “the unenviable task of waiting to ‘collect’ the stolen goods. ‘after they’re passed'”. This new process of recovery of evidence contributes one more surreal dimension to a case already in overdrive.
(Orlando PD)
Charges and Legal Proceedings
Gilder is now in grave danger, facing a charge of grand theft, for the brazen jewelry robbery. The earrings’ record-breaking price – nearly $770,000 – significantly increases the severity of the theft charges.
“A Florida jewelry thief swiped more than $700,000 in earrings last week and then swallowed the evidence hours before he was arrested,” NBC News reported, summarizing the sequence of events that led to Gilder’s current predicament.
A Pattern of Unusual Florida Crimes
This incident adds another installment to Florida’s rich, vibrant history of bizarre crimes to which “Florida Man” news headlines have provided a distinctive place in American mainstream culture. Jewelry robberies, of course, are not uncommon, but this one’s attempted concealment is particularly desperate and poorly thought-out.
The Recovery Process
While the police are not saying how they retrieved the jewelry, physicians would typically have protocols in place in the event that something like this happens. The most likely solution is letting the items go through the system naturally, but medical intervention could be required depending on the size of the earrings and how they could impact the suspect’s health.
In spite of the unusual situation, ultimate recovery of the earrings will give concrete evidence for prosecution while restoring the valuable jewelry to Tiffany & Co.
Conclusion
This remarkable case demonstrates both the extremes to which some criminals will go in an attempt to evade prosecution and the difficulties with which police officers must deal in non-typical evidence recovery situations. As Gilder waits for his day in court, his case reminds us that crime – especially if it is followed by irresponsible conduct – seldom pays in the end.
For Tiffany & Co., it’s a tale to become company legend shortly. For Gilder, it’s an expensive lesson in the dangers of using digestive cover-up as a crime strategy. And for the rest of us, it’s another “Florida Man” news report that challenges received wisdom.
