A Houston man allegedly impersonating an NBA agent was arrested last week after he was accused of stealing diamond Tiffany & Co. earrings worth $769,000, and then swallowing them when he was confronted by cops.
Fake NBA Agent Jaythan Gilder Said He Was Shopping For Jewelry On Behalf Of An Unnamed Orlando Magic Player
According to TMZ Sports, the Orlando Police Department claimed in court documents that the incident unfolded after 33-year-old Jaythan Gilder entered a Tiffany & Co. store at the Mall at Millenia and told clerks he was shopping for jewelry on behalf of an unnamed Orlando Magic player.
The OPD said the store manager told officers Gilder was taken to a VIP room by two store associates to browse some high-value items. Soon after, however, Gilder allegedly grabbed the two pairs of earrings valued at over $769,000 and a $587,000 ring and attempted to flee.
The OPD released footage of a man in a red polo shirt, accused to be Gilder, fighting a store employee in the room. Police said the attack left visible injuries on the employee’s arms.
The court docs state one of the associates told police they tried to stop him and managed to knock the ring out of his hand, but Gilder was still able to escape with the expensive earrings.
Gilder reportedly dropped the diamond ring during the scuffle but managed to keep hold of the earrings.
X-Ray Revealed That Gilder Had Swallowed The Earrings
According to the docs, police were able to locate Gilder a short time later, and as they were taking him into custody over the theft allegations, the arresting officers witnessed him swallowing some of the items that they believe were the stolen Tiffany & Co. earrings.
Authorities said a scan at a nearby jail revealed the suspected earrings were inside Gilder’s stomach and added that the items “will need to be collected … after they are passed through Gilder’s system prior to confirming.”
Gilder allegedly asked the jail staff, “Am I going to be charged with what’s in my stomach?”
Per TMZ Sports, Gilder has since been charged with two felonies over the allegations, including robbery with a mask and grand theft first degree. Swallowing evidence and/or stolen merchandise is in fact a crime. Obstruction could be an additional charge.
Law enforcement added in the docs that this isn’t Gilder’s first run-in with the law. He had previously been accused of committing “a near identical robbery/theft from a Tiffany’s” in Texas in 2022.
