OTTAWA - Former CFL quarterback Cody Ledbetter has been deported to the United States, where he could face 25 hard years in a Texas prison.

The former Hamilton Tiger-Cat was removed from an Ottawa jail Tuesday morning by the Canadian Border Services Agency. By noon, he had been transferred to the custody of agents of the U.S. Marshals Service after being driven to a land crossing in upstate New York.

Ledbetter, 37, is ultimately bound for Johnson County, Texas, where he was on the sheriff's most-wanted list after fleeing to Canada last year.

"It's important to get all the absconders brought back," Sheriff Bob Alford said in an interview from Johnson County. "We want to express our appreciation to the Canadian officials who were working closely with us on getting him captured."

In 2005, Ledbetter pleaded guilty to two counts of having sex with a 16-year-old girl from the high school in Alvarado, Texas, where he was a coach. He was given 10 years probation.

Ledbetter could now end up serving as much as 25 years in a Texas penitentiary. Eventually, he will face a new trial for breaking his probation and fleeing, said Alford.

"He was given a second chance and he violated the terms and conditions of that, so we don't stop until we get him back, whatever it takes," the sheriff explained.

"Definitely he's looking at a lot worse environment to be placed into, a lot harder circumstance on him than if he'd just followed through like he was given that opportunity."

Ledbetter fled Texas and came to Canada last fall, where his career as a back-up quarterback ended in 2002. He has been in custody since surrendering to police in early August following a July 31 altercation with his girlfriend in Ottawa.

Prosecutors in Ottawa stayed four charges against Ledbetter on Monday, including assault causing bodily harm and uttering threats. That paved the way for his removal from Canada.

Prosecutor Lia Bramwell said that if Ledbetter had not been promptly removed to the U.S., the criminal case against him in Canada would have been restarted.

"He was ready for removal so we just proceeded," said Chris Kealey, spokesman for the border agency.

"We have an obligation under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to remove people as quickly as possible."

Alford said his office asked the Texas governor to prepare an extradition warrant to so Ledbetter could be transferred from the custody of U.S. Marshals in New York state.

Ledbetter still has the right to appeal his extradition to Texas, and could exercise his right to a full hearing in New York, said Alford.

But Alford said he thought it was unlikely that Ledbetter would be able to prevent his eventual return to Texas.