Kerr Kriisa, a former University of West Virginia basketball player, has been indicted on five counts of wire fraud related to a $2.2 million scheme, as revealed in an indictment made public on Monday by the US District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia.
Despite earlier reports suggesting that Kriisa might also face charges for point shaving, the indictment does not include any such accusations. Kriisa was active in 19 games during the 2025-26 season at the University of Cincinnati, marking the end of his six years in NCAA Division I basketball.
Originally from Estonia, Kriisa has signed with Tartu Ülikool, a club in the Estonian-Latvian Basketball League, after leaving Cincinnati. His collegiate career included three seasons at the University of Arizona from 2020 to 2023, followed by stints at West Virginia and Kentucky.
Kriisa is the son of Valmo Kriisa, who played for the Estonian national team. The indictment states that Kerr Kriisa impersonated his mother, Kersti Kull, to solicit funds from someone he allegedly misled by claiming the money was for her cancer treatments, which prosecutors assert were fabricated.
US Attorney Matthew Harvey commented, "Financial fraud schemes erode trust and cause real harm to victims who believed they were helping someone in need. Our office will continue to pursue individuals who exploit others through deception, holding them accountable for their actions."
As festivities took place across America celebrating the 250th anniversary of the nation, Kriisa was arrested by the FBI in connection to this fraudulent scheme, as reported by Kentucky Sports Radio. Kriisa, who played nine games for the Kentucky Wildcats in the 2024-25 season, is currently awaiting extradition to West Virginia.
According to the indictment, beginning in 2022, Kriisa devised a scheme to defraud individuals in the Northern District of West Virginia through false pretenses. The fraudulent activity continued until June of this year, with prosecutors detailing his attempts to defraud several individuals using fictitious identities and deceptive communications.
The indictment mentions instances where Kriisa impersonated an individual named "Irene" to extract money from a victim identified as "Victim 2." In communications spanning three years until 2024, he also posed as his mother while trying to secure financial assistance to save a family farm. At one point, in November 2022, while he was playing for Arizona, Kriisa falsely claimed that he would sell his organs to help pay back a victim who had supported him.
The indictments include various emails and text messages as evidence of the scheme, featuring five wire transmissions connected to the counts leveled against him. Notably, Kriisa has not been charged with any bribery associated with sports contests, a charge that several others are facing in connection to a wider investigation into sports betting in Brooklyn.
In a separate ongoing point-shaving case in Philadelphia, more than a dozen college players are implicated across at least 17 teams. Following guilty pleas, lead defendant Jalen Smith recently faced a sentencing hearing, which was postponed to October due to a request from his attorneys.
On July 29, hearings for plea changes are scheduled for four other defendants, including three players. Among them is Dyquavion Short, a former player from the University of New Orleans, who has been accused of fixing three games during the 2024-25 season. Another accused is Shawn Fulcher, who allegedly underperformed in several games while also recruiting players for the scheme.
Furthermore, Samuel Silverman, a former trader at DraftKings, is facing legal action linked to an alleged betting scheme involving a former Fresno State basketball player. The NCAA banned multiple players last September for betting on their own games, including Mykell Robinson, who is accused of conspiring with his ex-roommate, Steven Vasquez, to manipulate wagers prior to a loss in 2025. Reports indicate that Silverman received a portion of funds from these fraudulent bets, which he has denied as he pleads not guilty to multiple felony charges. The Nevada Gaming Control Board is still pursuing further charges against involved parties.
