Former Arizona basketball player and Estonian national Kerr Kriisa has been federally indicted on five counts of wire fraud totaling nearly $2.2 million over the span of four years, according to a federal indictment unsealed Monday.
Kriisa, 25, is accused of fraudulently trying to obtain money from several victims by pretending to be different members of his family, saying they needed cancer treatments or that they were in danger, according to the indictment. The charging document was filed June 2, but was made publicly available over a month later.
Kriisa allegedly posed as his family members and fictional people to try and convince victims to send money.
Kriisa, who played his freshman through junior years at Arizona, played in all 35 games and made 34 starts for the 2022-23 Wildcats as a junior and averaged 9.9 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. He led the Pac-12 in assists at 5.14 per game and tied for the team lead with 83 made 3-pointers that season.
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Kriisa was a guard at UK during the 2024-25 season. He appeared in nine games, averaging 4.4 points and 3.8 assists per game. After scoring eight points in Kentucky’s overtime victory over Gonzaga, he suffered a foot injury that ended his season.
UK was Kriisa’s third stop during his six-year college basketball career. He also played at West Virginia before his season at Kentucky.
He was granted an additional year of eligibility after his injury at Kentucky and closed his college career this past season at Cincinnati. La Familia, Kentucky’s team in The Basketball Tournament, announced on X that Kriisa would no longer be playing for the team, referencing “allegations regarding” him.
Former Wildcat and current Bearcat Kerr Kriisa gets a few early rounds of long range jumpers in as the Cincinnati guard returns to face Arizona for a Big 12 game, Jan. 21, 2026, at McKale Center.
The indictment says federal prosecutors will seek to make Kriisa forfeit about $2.2 million in proceeds gained from the scheme.
What the indictment alleges
Kriisa’s indictment alleges the scheme began in 2022 and continued until June 2, 2026.
Kriisa allegedly would tell victims that the money he needed was due to family emergencies or “imminent danger,” according to the indictment.
In some instances, he allegedly posed as his mother and told a woman identified in the indictment as “Victim 1” that the money they provided was for cancer treatments and to “save the family farm,” according to the indictment.
In one instance in November 2025, Kriisa allegedly posed as a fictional person named “Irene” to request money from another unnamed victim, identified as “Victim 2,” in the indictment.
Kriisa reportedly also tried to assure victims he would pay them back. He told Victim 1 that he had gotten a loan to repay her, and also said that he would sell his organs to repay her.
“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 a news release. “Our office will continue to pursue individuals who exploit others through deception. We are committed to holding them accountable for their actions.”
