A federal indictment unsealed Monday accuses former college basketball player Kerr Kriisa of orchestrating a fraud scheme that defrauded two victims of nearly $2.2 million. Kriisa, 25, was arrested Saturday in Kentucky on five counts of wire fraud, according to U.S. Attorney Matthew Harvey.
Authorities allege that from 2022 through June 2 of this year, Kriisa impersonated others, including his mother, and falsely claimed he and his family needed money for emergencies. The indictment states that in August 2022, Kriisa falsely told one victim he had secured a loan to repay her, only to later claim he planned to sell his organs to raise funds for repayment.
Between 2022 and 2024, Kriisa allegedly contacted the same victim while posing as his mother, soliciting money for her purported cancer treatments and to save the family farm. In April 2025, he reportedly signed an agreement falsely promising to repay this victim $100,000 by February 2026.
Beginning in November 2025 and continuing through early February of this year, Kriisa is accused of repeatedly soliciting funds from a second victim, sometimes impersonating a fabricated individual named "Irene."
Kriisa, a 6-foot-3 guard from Estonia, began his college basketball career at Arizona in 2020, where he became a popular player known for his competitive spirit and long-range shooting. He led the Pac-12 in assists during his two full seasons with the Wildcats before transferring to West Virginia. Kriisa was suspended for the first nine games of his season at West Virginia after admitting to receiving impermissible benefits while at Arizona.
In 2024, Kriisa transferred to Kentucky but played only nine games due to a foot injury. He then transferred to Cincinnati for his final year of eligibility, starting 12 games before suffering a separated shoulder in February. He is expected to appear in federal court in West Virginia this week.
"Financial fraud schemes erode trust and cause real harm to victims who believed they were helping someone in need," Harvey stated in a news release.