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Kerr Kriisa, a former college basketball guard, was charged in connection with an alleged $2.2 million fraud scheme, the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Northern District of West Virginia announced Monday.
Kriisa, an Estonian national who plays for his country's Tartu Ülikool, was arrested and will appear in federal court this week after being charged with five counts of wire fraud, U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey announced.
Court documents indicated that from 2022 to June 2, 2026, the 25-year-old allegedly carried out a scheme to obtain nearly $2.2 million from multiple victims “using false representations, fabricated identities, and deceptive communications,” the U.S. Attorney's Office wrote in its news release.
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Kerr Kriisa of the Cincinnati Bearcats warms up before the game against the Arizona Wildcats at the McKale Center on January 21, 2026 in Tucson, Arizona. The Wildcats defeated the Bearcats, 77-51. (Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
Kriisa's indictment alleges that he posed as several different individuals, including fictitious contacts and family members, while falsely claiming that he and his family were in danger. Additionally, he allegedly said that his mother needed cancer treatment or that the family property required urgent financial support from the victims.
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Kriisa was allegedly soliciting repeated payments from two of the victims, while in this case he also ordered one victim to send money under false pretenses.
He allegedly carried out his plan in Monongalia County, West Virginia, and elsewhere.
Kerr Kriisa of the Cincinnati Bearcats brings the ball up court during a college basketball game against the West Virginia Mountaineers on February 5, 2026 at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Joe Robbins/Sportswire Icon)
“Financial fraud schemes erode trust and cause real harm to victims who believed they were helping someone in need,” Harvey said in the news release. “Our office will continue to pursue individuals who exploit others through deception. We are committed to holding them accountable for their actions.”
Kriisa allegedly signed a written agreement in April 2025 promising to reimburse one of his victims $100,000 by February 2026. Prosecutors said this instance was also fraudulent.
The government is currently seeking forfeiture of any proceeds attributable to Kriisa's alleged crimes, including a monetary judgment of approximately $2.2 million.
Kerr Kriisa of the Kentucky Wildcats reacts against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at Climate Pledge Arena on December 7, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
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Kriisa's college basketball career began in Arizona, as he spent three seasons with the Wildcats from 2020-23. He transferred to West Virginia for the 2023-24 season, and then spent time with the Kentucky Wildcats and Cincinnati Bearcats, respectively.
Kriisa averaged 8.8 points and 4.4 assists in 127 career games at the Division I level.
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