An American accused of possessing more than $180,000 of criminal property died in custody in Florida after fleeing Bermuda while on bail.

John Claude Shefferly, 54, was charged last year with obtaining $183,478 of criminal proceeds and attempting to remove the funds from the country in an incident on June 23, 2025.

The Supreme Court heard that he fled Bermuda after he was released on bail in October.

Mr Shefferly was located in Florida this year, but died in police custody in Fort Myers, Florida in circumstances that remain under investigation by US authorities.

Puisne Judge Juan Wolffe told the court yesterday of his concern over Mr Shefferly’s ability to slip away from the island, adding that the escape would not have been possible without assistance.

Mr Justice Wolffe said: “Someone came here to get him and left, or someone in Bermuda made arrangements for him to take a boat and leave — or a combination of the two.

“I am concerned that someone with some degree of ease would have been able to leave Bermuda.

“It speaks to a network of individuals who have the wherewithal to make people leave the island, and it makes it very difficult for this court to grant bail to foreign nationals if that network exists.”

The court heard that Mr Shefferly was arrested on his boat on June 23 last year and that $183,478 of US cash was found on board, resulting in both the cash and the vessel being seized.

While Mr Shefferly was at first remanded into custody by the Magistrates’ Court, he was released on $7,500 bail with a like surety by the Supreme Court on October 19.

He was ordered to attend court on December 1, 2025 for arraignment, but a warrant was issued after he failed to appear.

Paula Tyndale, for the Crown, told the court that police attended the Southampton address where Mr Shefferly was supposed to reside as a condition of his bail

She added: “No one at that location was aware of his existence.”

Ms Tyndale said that while Mr Shefferly had turned over his travel documents, he was believed to have left the island by boat soon after his release from custody.

In the wake of his disappearance, she said the Bermuda Police Service contacted Interpol in an attempt to locate Mr Shefferly and bring him back to the island for prosecution.

He was found and arrested in Florida this month for other matters.

While efforts were in train to extradite him back to Bermuda, Mr Shefferly died in custody on January 6 as a result of suspected self-sustained injuries.

The Fort Myers Police Department declined to provide records regarding the death to The Royal Gazette, stating that the incident was still under investigation.

After Mr Shefferly’s death, Ms Tyndale said that the Crown had submitted a nolle prosequi, which would formally end the prosecution — but noted that efforts would be made to legally claim seized property, including Mr Shefferly’s $150,000 boat.

Ms Tyndale said Mr Shefferly had been known to travel to and from the island by boat, and it had been suspected that his boat was being used to smuggle drugs or other contraband.

She said that he had come to Bermuda on board the vessel in 2024 and flew out in September of that year, leaving the boat behind, and flew back in the summer of 2025.

Puisne Judge Juan Wolffe said that Mr Shefferly’s escape from the island indicated the involvement of other parties in Bermuda.

He added: “That money was built up by someone in Bermuda for the illicit gains to be sent abroad.”

The Gazette sent inquiries to the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of National Security, but had not received response as of press time last night.

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