Former Arizona men’s basketball player Kerr Kriisa pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud for orchestrating a multi-million dollar fraud scheme, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of West Virginia announced Thursday.
Kriisa, 25, entered a plea agreement in which the government has agreed not to recommend a sentencing exceeding 24 months, according to WV Sports Now. Kriisa is scheduled to be sentenced on December 22, 2026.
Prosecutors say that Kriisa carried out a fraud scheme of $2.2
million by using false representations, fabricated identities, and deceptive communications to secure money from victims.
Kriisa is alleged to posed as various individuals — including fictional contacts and family members — and falsely claimed he and his family were in danger, that his mother needed cancer treatment, or that family property required urgent financial support.
According to the plea deal, Kriisa sent 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 scheme dates back to 2022 when Kriisa was a member of the Arizona basketball program and continued through this year.
Kriisa began his college career at Arizona, where he played from 2020-23. Kriisa then transferred to West Virginia, Kentucky and eventually Cincinnati, where he finished his college career this past season.
