Former college basketball player Kerr Kriisa was arrested and indicted Monday in an alleged $2.2 million fraud scheme, per the Department of Justice, as reported by ESPN. According to the DOJ, Kriisa “allegedly carried out a scheme to obtain nearly $2.2 million from multiple victims using false representations, fabricated identities, and deceptive communications.”
Kriisa, who played six college seasons including his last at Cincinnati this year before injuring his shoulder in February, initially signed with Arizona as part of the Wildcats’ 2020 recruiting class before transferring to West Virginia ahead of the 2023-24 campaign and later, Kentucky.
The DOJ alleges that Kriisa, who will appear in federal court this week on five counts of wire fraud, ran a scheme for the last four years. He convinced one victim to send him money after lying that his mother needed funds for cancer treatment.
The indictment alleges that Kriisa portrayed various individuals — including fake contacts and family members — and falsely claimed he and his family were in danger.
“Financial fraud schemes erode trust and cause real harm to victims who believed they were helping someone in need,” U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey said in the release. “Our office will continue to pursue individuals who exploit others through deception. We are committed to holding them accountable for their actions.”
The indictment includes the details of several text messages and emails that Kriisa sent to victims, highlighted by one written agreement from the former player who had agreed to repay a victim $100,000 by February 2026. However, that never happened.
Kriisa was limited to nine games at Kentucky due to a foot injury before playing for the Bearcats this season prior to the firing of Wes Miller. A 6-foot-3 guard from Vissu Küla, Estonia, Kriisa’s best season came with the Mountaineers when he averaged a career-best 11 points per game.
He was considered a top European player in 2020 before signing with Arizona.
This story will be updated when more information becomes available.
