Andrew Nelles / USA TODAY NETWORK
Daryl Hank Skrine II, known to NFL fans as Buster Skrine, played 11 seasons in the NFL, from 2011 to 2021, with the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, and Tennessee Titans. He earned over $40 million during his NFL career. On Wednesday, it was announced that he had been arrested on 18 charges connected to an “extensive financial fraud scheme” involving multiple women he targeted on online dating sites.
Buster Skrine was first arrested in Canada in August of 2023 on charges related to an alleged scheme where he fraudulently obtained over $100,000 from multiple banks across the country. In May of 2024, the former NFL cornerback skipped his court date, severed the connection on his GPS monitor, and went on the run.
Scams funded a “lavish lifestyle”
According to Fox 5 News, Skrine, 36, allegedly scammed his victims out of around $300,000. Police report that they identified three victims, in Wisconsin, North Carolina, and New York, and believe there may be more.
“Investigators learned that Skrine had been targeting multiple women through online dating platforms,” police wrote in a press release. “Once he had established a relationship with them, Skrine would tell the victims a fictitious story about his financial troubles and ask them for money, promising to repay them from his NFL annuity.”
Instead, investigators claim, he spent the women’s money on a “lavish lifestyle” that included paying for Airbnb rentals, travel, and gift cards.
Skrine is still a wanted fugitive
He was arrested at a home in Roswell, Georgia on Wednesday on 18 charges including five counts of FTC fraud, five counts of identity fraud, three counts of deposit account fraud, three counts of criminal attempt — theft by taking, and two counts of theft by taking.
Buster Skrine is also still a wanted fugitive in Canada. Roswell police are now “working closely with Canadian authorities to ensure Skrine answers for all of his charges in both countries.” Roswell police are also urging anyone who may have been victimized to contact them.
Skrine, a native of Woodstock, Georgia, played college football at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. After being selected with the 137th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns, he went on to play in 158 games before announcing his retirement in 2022.