Key facts
- Former college basketball player Kerr Kriisa has been indicted on five counts of wire fraud.
- The indictment alleges Kriisa defrauded two victims of nearly $2.2 million.
- Kriisa is accused of posing as other people, including his mother, to solicit funds.
- The alleged scheme occurred between 2022 and June 2, 2024.
- Kriisa was arrested in Kentucky and is expected to appear in federal court in West Virginia.
Former college basketball player Kerr Kriisa has been indicted by a federal grand jury in West Virginia on five counts of wire fraud, accused of fraudulently obtaining nearly $2.2 million from two victims. The indictment, unsealed Monday, alleges that Kriisa, a 25-year-old guard from Estonia, posed as other people, including his own mother, between 2022 and June 2, 2024, to solicit funds for fabricated emergencies.
U.S. Attorney Matthew Harvey stated that financial fraud schemes erode trust and cause harm. Kriisa, who played for Arizona, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Cincinnati, is accused of lying and falsely claiming urgent needs for money, including for his mother's cancer treatments and to save the family farm. He also allegedly promised to repay one victim by selling his organs. Kriisa was arrested in Kentucky on Saturday and is expected to appear in federal court in West Virginia this week.