Editor’s Note
This article describes an unusual theft attempt where a Florida man swallowed high-value diamond earrings. The story has been condensed from its original source for clarity and brevity.
A jewel thief from Florida attempted to steal Tiffany & Co. diamond earrings worth 716,000 euros by swallowing them. He tried to flee, but it went wrong.
A jewel thief in Florida attempted to escape with his loot in an unusual way. The man swallowed Tiffany & Co. earrings worth $769,000 (716,000 euros).
According to the “New York Post,” on February 26, the thief posed as a representative of a basketball player to gain access to valuable jewelry at a Tiffany & Co. store in Orlando.
He then fled with two pairs of diamond ear studs worth $160,000 (149,000 euros) and $609,500 (567,500 euros).
Police stopped him on Interstate 10 and arrested him, but initially could not find the earrings. In jail, he eventually asked if he would be charged “for what’s in my stomach,” according to the “New York Post.”
A body scan confirmed the presence of foreign objects that could represent the stolen jewelry. “However, these foreign objects must first pass through his system before we can confirm them,” states the arrest report.
An officer at the Orange County jail heard the man say this. He has 48 outstanding warrants in Colorado and was previously charged in 2022 for a similar incident in Texas.
There have been many diamond heists where extremely valuable jewelry was stolen. These were the three biggest:
– On August 6, 2009, two disguised men threatened employees at the Graff Diamonds store in London and stole more than 40 pieces of jewelry. Loot: $65 million (60.5 million euros).
– On December 4, 2008, four armed robbers disguised as women broke into the Harry Winston store in Paris and looted jewelry and diamonds. Loot: $107 million (99.5 million euros).
– On February 3, 2008, thieves drilled a hole through the 1.2-meter-thick wall of the cellar next to the Damiani exhibition room in Milan. Loot: $20 million (16.6 million euros).
