Former Bears player on the run from Canadian police: report

Canadian police are currently on the hunt for former Bears cornerback Buster Skrine, according to a report from TMZ.

Skrine, 35, was expected to see a judge in Durham Region relating to allegations of defrauding Canadian banks with fake checks in 2023, but he missed the date. Authorities say his GPS ankle bracelet is inactive, too.

The former Bears defensive back had been out on bail since April 12. The Durham Regional Police Service is now hoping to find Skrine and place additional charges on him, including failure to appear in court and comply with the release order.

The police initially arrested Skrine in August 2023 for defrauding multiple 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, the Durham Regional Police Service said then. 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 reportedly ran through this scheme multiple times across different banks in Canada. The police department then felt they had “reason to believe” he was connected to many 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 Browns and the New York Jets before signing with the Bears ahead of the 2019 season.

Skrine played two seasons for the Bears in 2019 and 2020. He played 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 made over $40 million in career earnings from his time in the NFL.

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