Canadian police are pursuing former Bears cornerback Buster Skrine, Durham Regional Police confirmed Wednesday.
Skrine, 35, was scheduled to meet with a judge May 6 in Durham Region regarding allegations of Canadian bank fraud involving fake checks in 2023, but missed the date. Authorities say his GPS ankle bracelet is also inactive.
The former Bears defensive back was released on bail on April 12. The Durham Regional Police Service now hopes to locate Skrine and lay additional charges against him, including failure to appear in court and failure to comply with the release order.
Police arrested Skrine in August 2023 for defrauding several Canadian banks of $100,000.
MORE: Former Bears defensive back arrested for allegedly defrauding Canadian banks
Skrine targeted “numerous financial institutions” to illegally obtain cash, Durham Regional Police said at the time. The police department claimed Skrine would identify himself as a retired NFL player, open bank accounts with fraudulent checks and earn a fraction of the money before the checks cleared.
He allegedly experienced this scheme several times in different banks in Canada. Police said they had “reason to believe” he was linked to numerous scams of this nature.
Originally drafted in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns, Skrine played 11 seasons in the NFL. He played four seasons each with the New York Browns and Jets before signing with the Bears before the 2019 season.
Skrine played two seasons for the Bears in 2019 and 2020. He played in 28 games, defending eight passes, forcing three fumbles and recording 114 total tackles.
He last played for the Tennessee Titans and San Francisco 49ers during the 2021 season.
According to Spotrac, Skrines has earned over $40 million in his career from his time in the NFL.
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