Wesley Celestine’s self-published YouTube highlight videos display an impressive skill set.

At 6-foot-4, the spring-heeled guard can play above the rim, shoot, push the ball in transition and, at a lean 220 pounds, create space on dribble-drives.

Celestine has found steady work in the French professional basketball circuit, currently listed as a starting guard for Bruay-la-Buissiere. The 27-year-old boasts the type of athleticism most teams at the Nationale Masculine 2 level covet.

He’s wanted 5,000 miles away from France, too.

Celestine is on Kootenai County’s most wanted list for attempted robbery, burglary and aggravated battery in Coeur d’Alene where, back in the early morning of Dec. 3, 2011, he and another assailant allegedly invaded the home of two men. A machete was reportedly used in the assault, but the victims both suffered injuries that were not life-threatening.

Celestine and the other man — both North Idaho College students at the time — were booked into Kootenai County jail on suspicion of aggravated battery and robbery.

Celestine, who transferred to NIC from NCAA Division II Clayton State in Georgia, left the U.S. before he could be prosecuted.

Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office Det. Dennis Stinebaugh said Celestine will likely avoid jail time if he doesn’t return to the U.S.

“There’s not much that can be done at the state level. Extraditions of wanted people from foreign countries are negotiated at the federal level, as they are part of treaties negotiated at the federal level since states are not allowed to do so,” Stinebaugh said. “The State of Idaho would have to request through federal agencies the person be extradited back. This request for extradition by a state would normally only occur if the suspect committed a capital crime such as murder, aggravated kidnapping, etc. which don’t appear to apply in this situation.”

Emails from The Press to Celestine’s French team for comment garnered no replies.

Clayton State initially had high hopes for Celestine who redshirted during the 2010-11 season, his first year in the United States.

“Gifted, athletic guard with international playing experience... Multi-talented offensive player with a scoring mentality... Can play all three perimeter positions... Will take a developmental red shirt this season,” the Clayton State athletics website said.

A native of French-Martinique, in the Caribbean, Celestine reportedly heard of North Idaho College and Gonzaga because of other Martinique talents such as former Gonzaga star and NBA player Ronny Turiaf and Turiaf’s cousin, Harry Disy, who played at NIC before transferring to Louisiana Tech.

When he made the trek to Coeur d’Alene in the summer of 2011, however, Celestine wasn’t guaranteed a scholarship. Then NIC head coach Jared Phay — now the head man at NJCAA power College of Southern Idaho — said he heard good things from his previous coach and was open to taking Celestine as a walk-on.

Phay said it didn’t take long before he realized Celestine wasn’t the type of person he wanted in his program.

“I could tell he was trouble right away so we booted him before he could play,” said Phay, adding that Celestine wasn’t on the team when the home invasion is alleged to have occurred. “He would skip class, get in arguments with our guys. Just a bad dude. He left the country pretty quick after getting in trouble.”

Phay, 40, has been a head college coach for 13 seasons and isn’t foreign to kicking malcontents off his team, but this particular case had the Post Falls native feeling uneasy.

“I do remember being a little scared of him after I told him he needed to go,” Phay said. “I guess my instincts were right.”

By May 2012, Celestine was already playing in a French league, according to French newspapers, helping his team reach the postseason.

Years later in North Idaho, Celestine’s warrant has reached cold case status.