Former New York Jets cornerback Buster Skrine is wanted by police in Canada after failing to attend a scheduled court appearance.
According to Durham Regional Police, Skrine was scheduled to appear in court on May 6. However, the former NFL player didn’t appear, and his GPS monitor has since gone offline.
Skrine was previously arrested in August of 2023 for numerous fraud-related charges. He was accused of committing over $100,000 in bank fraud in a scheme involving multiple fraudulent account. He had been granted bail back in April, on the condition that he followed a GPS monitoring program before returning to court.
The whereabouts of Skrine are unknown at the time of publication. Canadian police continue to search for the 35-year-old.
Buster Skrine’s NFL Career
Prior to his legal troubles, Skrine had carved out a respectable decade-long career in the NFL.
Prior to going pro, Skrine was a star cornerback at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He saw significant action in all four seasons for the program, earning First Team All-Southern Conference honors twice. He recorded 155 total tackles, five interceptions, and 21 pass breakups in 42 career games.
Skrine declared for the NFL draft after his senior season. However, he was overlooked in the pre-draft process coming from a small school at just 5’9″ and 186 pounds. The Cleveland Browns eventually picked him in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft.
The Browns kept Skrine around for four seasons, but he left in free agency after his rookie deal expired. The Jets scooped him up on a four-year, $25 million deal during the 2015 offseason.
Skrine became a solid part of New York’s secondary for four seasons. He played in 59 games, racking up 224 total tackles, 30 pass breakups, three interceptions, three forced fumbles, and 2.5 sacks.
Following his time in New York, Skrine had brief stops with the Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, and Tennessee Titans. He announced his retirement before the start of the 2022 season, ending an 11-year NFL career.
Additional Details of Skrine’s Legal Issues
Skrine has been dealing with significant legal trouble after retiring from the NFL.
Police told CP24.com that Skrine’s illegal activity allegedly began in September of 2022. The former NFL player would try to deposit fraudulent checks across the Durham region of Canada, hitting multiple banks and credit unions.
Skrine eventually used these fraudulent checks to withdraw more than $100,000 across Canada.
“He (the suspect) did use his position as a former NFL player to the banks as he was depositing the checks,” Sgt. Joanne Bortoluss told CP24. “The investigators are still going through the evidence that they have. If that evidence leads to grounds for additional charges then additional charges would be laid. However, that part of the investigation is still ongoing.”
The investigation into Skrine began in July of 2023. He was arrested a month later at Pearson International Airport after authorities became aware that he had made plans to return to the United States in order to avoid being caught.
Now, Skrine is facing multiple fraud-related charges, on top of the inevitable charges that will come from him failing to arrive at his scheduled court date.
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