Former college basketball player and Estonian national Kerr Kriisa was arrested and will appear in federal court this week on five counts of wire fraud, U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey announced on July 6.
According to court documents, between 2022 and June 2, 2026, Kriisa, age 25, allegedly conducted a scheme in Monongalia County, West Virginia, and elsewhere to obtain nearly $2.2 million from multiple victims through false representations, fabricated identities, and deceptive communications. The indictment states that Kriisa posed as various individuals—including fictional contacts and family members—and falsely claimed he or his family were in danger, that his mother required cancer treatment, or that family property needed urgent financial support.
“Financial fraud schemes erode trust and cause real harm to victims who believed they were helping someone in need,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey, . “Our office will continue to pursue individuals who exploit others through deception. We are committed to holding them accountable for their actions.”
The indictment alleges that Kriisa requested repeated payments from two victims and at times directed one victim to send money to the other under false pretenses. Numerous emails and text messages are described as part of the alleged scheme, including five specific wire transmissions tied to the charged counts.
In April 2025, Kriisa allegedly signed a written agreement promising repayment of $100,000 by February 2026; prosecutors say this promise was also fraudulent.
Kriisa played basketball for the University of Arizona, West Virginia University, the University of Kentucky, and the University of Cincinnati. The government is seeking forfeiture of any proceeds traceable to the alleged offenses—approximately $2.2 million—through a money judgment.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod Douglas is prosecuting the case while the Federal Bureau of Investigation is conducting the investigation.
An indictment is merely an allegation; a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.