Canadian police are searching for former Bears CB Buster Skrine
Canadian authorities are searching for former Bears cornerback Buster Skrine. Police said his ankle monitor went offline while he was free on bail. Skrine is facing fraud charges.
Wade Payne/AP
Police in Canada are hunting for former Bears cornerback Buster Skrine after his ankle monitor went offline while he was free on bail.
Skrine, 34, was arrested at Pearson International Airport in Toronto in August and charged with fraud. Skrine is accused of opening bank accounts throughout Canada with bad checks and withdrawing cash before the checks failed to clear.
According to a release distributed by the Durham Regional Police, Skrine was transferred to the Saskatchewan Correctional Centre on Aug. 9 to face additional fraud charges. Three days later, he was granted bail on the condition he return to Durham to attend court and that he wear a GPS monitoring device.
He didn’t attend his court date Monday and his monitor went offline.
Skrine is wanted for failing to appear and comply with a release order.
In August, he was charged with four instances of fraud over $5,000; seven instances of making false statements to procure money; three instances of procuring property obtained by crime over $5,000; and possessing property obtained by crime under $5,000.
Skrine played for the Bears from 2019-20, serving as the team’s nickel cornerback. He played 68% of the team’s snaps in 2019 and 67% in 2020 while also helping on special teams. He finished his Bears career with eight pass breakups, three forced fumbles and 114 tackles.
He was a fifth-round pick of the Browns in 2011 and played for five teams in a career that lasted until 2021.