LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Former University of Kentucky basketball player Kerr Kriisa is scheduled to appear in federal court this week after the FBI arrested him in connection with an alleged scheme to obtain nearly $2.2 million from multiple people.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Kriisa was charged with five counts of wire fraud in connection with a scheme that took place from 2022 through June 2, 2026.
"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."
His arrest came less than five days after he was announced as a member of LaFamilia, Kentucky’s alumni team in The Basketball Tournament. LaFamilia said in a social media post Kriisa won't compete with the team during the tournament.
The 25-year-old from Estonia appeared in nine games for UK in 2025 because of an injury. He began his college career at Arizona, before transferring to West Virginia, then Kentucky. He spent last season at Cincinnati.
Court documents state Kriisa posed as multiple people, including fictional contacts and family members, to request payments from two victims.
Kriisa allegedly claimed he and his family were in danger, that his mother needed cancer treatment and that his family’s property needed urgent financial support.
According to court documents, Kriisa asked one alleged victim to send money to another alleged victim, falsely claiming the recipient was a third party who had agreed to forward the money to him.
Kriisa allegedly told one victim he had obtained a loan to repay her, that he would sell his organs to repay her and that he promised to repay $100,000 by February 2026.
Court documents state Kriisa also posed as his mother in emails to a victim to ask for money for cancer treatments or to save the family’s farm.
Kriisa also allegedly posed as a fictional person named "Irene" to repeatedly request money from a second victim. In a text message to the victim, he allegedly denied that Irene was a "fake person."
Prosecutors are seeking forfeiture of property and a money judgment of $2.2 million.
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