Missing $770,000 Diamond Earrings Were in the Thief's Stomach... Bizarre U.S. Heist

Swallowed earrings during arrest
U.S. jury finds him guilty of robbery and grand theft
Sharp jewelry may damage the digestive tract

A man in his 30s who stole a pair of Tiffany diamond earrings worth nearly $770,000 (about KRW 1 billion) in the United States and swallowed them during his arrest has been found guilty by a jury. His attempt to conceal the evidence failed after authorities recovered the earrings following about two weeks of observation.

On October 29, Yonhap News TV reported, citing the New York Post and ABC News, that prosecutors in Florida’s Ninth Judicial Circuit said Jayson Gilder, 33, who swallowed the diamond earrings, had been found guilty of robbery and grand theft.

An X-ray image showing the swallowed earring, alongside the recovered Tiffany diamond earring. New York Post.

The incident took place on February 26, 2025, at a Tiffany & Co. store in the Mall at Millenia in Orlando, Florida. Gilder pretended to be an agent for an NBA player with the Orlando Magic and asked to see high-value jewelry. He then grabbed the earrings and fled. Investigators said he used physical force against a store employee during the incident.

The stolen earrings consisted of two pairs: one featuring 4.86-carat diamonds and the other featuring 8.10-carat diamonds. They were worth $160,000 and $609,500, respectively. He also tried to take a ring, but a store employee knocked it away and recovered it at the scene, according to reports. Gilder fled but was later apprehended by the Florida Highway Patrol. Troopers saw him trying to swallow something in his mouth. A body scan at the Washington County Jail also revealed a foreign object suspected to be the stolen earrings.

After observing Gilder for about two weeks, authorities recovered the earrings after they passed from his body. Police took them to the Tiffany store to be cleaned and then had them examined by a professional jeweler. A comparison of the diamonds’ inscriptions and serial numbers confirmed that they matched the stolen items. State Attorney Monique Worrell stressed that the case involved not only substantial financial losses but also the safety of employees exposed to violence while at work.

Meanwhile, swallowing jewelry such as earrings can also cause serious physical injury. According to guidelines from the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE), sharp foreign objects can damage the digestive tract. Jewelry with pins or protruding metal parts can also pose a risk depending on its shape and size and where it becomes lodged.

The European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) recommends emergency endoscopic removal if a sharp foreign object is lodged in the esophagus, and urgent endoscopic removal within 24 hours if it is in the stomach. If someone swallows a foreign object, they should seek medical evaluation rather than deciding on their own to wait for it to pass naturally.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.