An Orange County jury found Jaythan Gilder guilty of robbery and grand theft in the Tiffany & Co. theft at the Mall at Millenia.

The guilty verdict is a conviction for robbery and grand theft. The court has not sentenced him. That hearing is Dec. 7. The State Attorney's account is that he posed as a buyer's representative, used force on a store employee, and swallowed the earrings after his arrest.

The Office of the State Attorney for the Ninth Judicial Circuit announced Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, that an Orange County jury found Jaythan Gilder guilty of robbery and grand theft. The case is the February 2025 theft of jewelry from the Tiffany & Co. store at the Mall at Millenia in Orlando. State Attorney Monique Worrell's office said sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 7.

The office said Gilder posed as a representative negotiating a purchase on behalf of a professional basketball player, grabbed merchandise valued at more than $760,000, and used force against a store employee while escaping. After his arrest, the office said, he swallowed the earrings to conceal evidence, and authorities monitored him for nearly two weeks before recovering them. Worrell said, "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." She also said, "This verdict sends a clear message that violence and theft will not be tolerated in our community."

WFLA reported Oct. 23 that Jaythan Lawrence Gilder was 32 and that he impersonated someone representing an Orlando Magic player. The station reported the earrings totaled $769,500: a 4.86-carat pair worth $160,000 and an 8.19-carat pair worth $609,500. The New York Post printed the larger pair as 8.10 carats.

News 6 reported Florida Highway Patrol troopers tracked him to Washington County, in the Florida Panhandle, found he had switched license plates, and saw him trying to swallow items during the stop. A body scan at the Washington County Jail showed the objects, the station reported. A trooper heard him say, "I should have thrown them out the window," and at the jail he asked, "Am I going to be charged with what is in my stomach?" News 6 reported. An earring backing imprinted with the Tiffany logo was found in the vehicle, and Tiffany's master jeweler confirmed the serial numbers matched, the station reported. Local 12 also reported the conviction and the Dec. 7 sentencing date and, citing NBC News, reported he fled in a rented car found about 300 miles away. The New York Post reported Oct. 26 that dashcam video shows troopers wrestling him to the ground and demanding he open his mouth.

The jury's guilty verdict is a conviction for robbery and grand theft. The court has not imposed a sentence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.