A year ago, Kerr Kriisa was at Big 12 Media Days in Kansas City trying to convince those in attendance he could get another year of eligibility for 2026-27.
Now, the Estonian national and former college basketball player for Arizona, West Virginia, Kentucky and Cincinnati admitted to wire fraud, according to the United StatesAttorney General's Office in the Northern District of West Virginia.
The 25-year-old Kriisa pleaded guilty in a plea agreement. In February 2006, Kriisa pretended to be a person named "Irene" and created a fictitious email to defraud, demanding $9,000 to avoid litigation and publicity.
He sent one of the victims an email in February 2026 holding himself out to be “Irene,” a fictitious email he created to further his scheme
to defraud. In the email, he demanded a payment of $9,000 to avoid litigation and publicity regarding a financial dispute “Irene” had with him.
The government, in the plea deal, has agreed not to seek a sentence that exceeds 24 months.
Kerr Kriisa had plenty of moves off basketball court
In February 2026, Kriisa played one game for the Cincinnati Bearcats, a scoreless effort vs. West Virginia. From the first game of the Big 12 season, Jan. 2, Kriisa played in five contests and scored just 11 points, claiming an injury.
In July, he was charged in a $2.2 million fraud scamdating back to his time in Arizona in 2022.
According to court documents, Kriisa posed as his mother "Irene" and others, asking for money to save the family farm and to pay for his mother's cancer treatments. He told a victim he had obtained a loan to repay and even mentioned selling his organs to make repayment.
In April, he promised to make a repayment of $100,000 to one of his victims, which prosecutors also say was fraudulent.
Back in July, a source close to Wes Miller's staff said they did not know about the investigation and were unaware of any allegations of fraud when contacted by The Enquirer.
Kriisa came to UC after an injury-plagued season at Kentucky in 2024-25 when he played in just nine games. He was Wes Miller's first transfer portal signing after UC's appearance in the Crown Tournament in Las Vegas,committing on April 6, 2025. One of the scams listed in court documents came in April 2025.
The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia in Clarksburg is Matthew Harvey:
“Financial fraud is not a game, and those who choose to deceive and exploit others will be held accountable. Mr. Kriisa’s years‑long scheme caused real harm, and today’s plea underscores that this office will pursue anyone who engages in conduct like this, regardless of any notoriety or success they may have achieved. We will continue to stand with our law‑enforcement partners to uncover fraud, defend victims, and ensure that offenders face serious federal consequences."
Kerr Kriisa's career pre-Cincinnati Bearcats
Kriisa averaged 11 points and 4.7 assists for West Virginia in 2023-24. His 3-point shooting percentage was 42.4%. That was his only season averaging double digits, and he played vs. UC three times that season. That last came March 12, 2024, in the Big 12 Tournament, where he had 13 points and seven assists in a 90-85 loss to the Bearcats.
At Arizona, he led the Pac-12 in assists from 2021 to 2023. In the 2022-23 campaign, he averaged 9.9 points and shot 37% from 3-point range. In 2021-22, he averaged 9.7 points per game, shooting 34% from the 3-point line. In 2020-21, he played in eight games, averaging 5.5 points and shooting 37% on 3s.
After starting most of his games through three seasons at Arizona and one at West Virginia, Kriisa would play just 28 games with 13 starts over the next two seasons at Kentucky and UC. Some would call those ineffective seasons fraudulent.
Kriisa is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec.22. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod Douglas is prosecuting the case, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation is conducting the investigation.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ex-UC, UK, WVU, Arizona guard Kerr Kriisa pleads guilty to wire fraud
