An alleged jewelry thief pretended to be a representative of an NBA player and was led to a private viewing room at a Florida Tiffany & Co. location, police said. That’s where he allegedly took jewelry valued at more than three-quarters of a million dollars.

According to court records, the man claimed his name was Shawn and was representing an Orlando Magic player, asking about diamond earrings and a diamond ring. Because of the value of the jewelry he was inquiring about, which was more than $1 million, he was taken to a VIP room.

Once there, the BBC said he swiped the jewelry and ran from the store. Court records said that while trying to leave, the man, later identified as Jaythan Gilder, injured one of the employees who had “visible injuries on his right arm.” Gilder also allegedly dropped the 5.61-carat diamond ring valued at $587,000.

WFTV said he then jumped in a car outside the Mall at Millenia and drove off.

Florida State Troopers caught up with Gilder, stopping him for a traffic violation.

Troopers said they found earring forms and price tags on the floor of the car, USA Today reported.

The earrings weren’t in the car. Gilder however allegedly had them, swallowing the nearly $800,000 worth of jewelry.

Court records said Gilder told police “I should have thrown them (the earrings) out the window.”

Medical scans taken shortly after Gilder’s arrest showed some of the three-quarters of a million dollars worth of jewelry inside his body.

He was taken to the Orange County Jail waiting to be extradited to Colorado for 48 outstanding warrants. He also faces charges in Florida including robbery with a mask and grand theft in the first degree.

Gilder, whose last known location according to jail records was Houston, Texas, is also the suspect in a similar case at a Tiffany & Co. store in the Lone Star State dating back to 2022, WFTV reported.

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