Ex-UK player Kriisa indicted on $2.2M fraud scam

Myron MedcalfJul 6, 2026, 01:35 PM ET

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Covers college basketball

Joined ESPN.com in 2011

Graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato

Former Kentucky basketball player Kerr Kriisa has been arrested and indicted on a $2.2 million fraud scheme, the Department of Justice announced on Monday.

Kriisa -- a 6-foot-3 guard from Estonia who played at Kentucky, Arizona, West Virginia and Cincinnati over six seasons -- "allegedly carried out a scheme to obtain nearly $2.2 million from multiple victims using false representations, fabricated identities, and deceptive communications," per the DOJ's news release on his arrest.

Kriisa played for Cincinnati last season and averaged 5.8 PPG and 3.0 APG before suffering a separated shoulder in February and missing the rest of the 2025-26 campaign.

According to the Department of Justice, Kriisa allegedly ran a four-year scheme that involved convincing one victim to send him money by saying his mother had cancer and needed treatment.

By posing as his mother in another scheme, he allegedly told one victim he needed money to "save" the family's farm. He also allegedly acted as a woman named "Irene" to sign a fraudulent promise to repay one of the victims $100,000 by a February deadline, per the DOJ's indictment.

"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 the release. "Our office will continue to pursue individuals who exploit others through deception. We are committed to holding them accountable for their actions."

The government is seeking "forfeiture of any proceeds traceable to the alleged offenses, including a money judgment of approximately $2.2 million" against Kriisa.

Kriisa dealt with multiple injuries in his career and competed in just 127 games over six seasons as a result.

His arrest is just the latest in the sport by the DOJ, which has indicted multiple college basketball players and coaches in gambling and bribery schemes over the past decade.