Federal prosecutors charge former UK basketball player Kerr Kriisa with $2.2 million wire fraud scheme

Federal prosecutors announced that Kerr Kriisa, 25, a former basketball player at the University of Kentucky and also identified in reports as a former West Virginia University player, has been charged with five counts of wire fraud connected to a scheme prosecutors say netted nearly $2.2 million. Prosecutors allege the case involves repeated requests for money using fabricated identities, false stories about urgent family needs, and deceptive communications over a multi-year period.

According to the charging documents described in the announcement, the alleged conduct occurred from 2022 through June 2, 2026, in Monongalia County, West Virginia, and elsewhere. The allegations center on claims that Kriisa pretended to be different people, including real and fictional contacts, and told victims that he and his family were in danger or required urgent financial support.

Prosecutors say the communications included claims that Kriisa’s mother needed cancer treatment and statements that he required “urgent financial support” for property tied to his family. In some instances, prosecutors allege he directed one victim to send money to another person under false pretenses, expanding the reach of the scheme beyond a single target.

One portion of the case involves an alleged written agreement dated April 2025. Prosecutors say Kriisa signed an agreement promising to repay one victim $100,000 by February 2026. Investigators contend the promise was part of the fraudulent effort to induce additional payments, rather than a legitimate plan to repay.

Federal prosecutors also said they are pursuing recovery efforts related to the alleged scheme, including a judgment “of about $2.2 million,” as described in local coverage of the federal case. Prosecutors described wire transmissions tied to the charged counts, framing the communications as the mechanism used to carry out the fraud.

The case was brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia. In the related reporting, U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey said the fraud schemes erode trust and cause real harm to victims who believed they were helping someone in need, and that federal prosecutors will continue to pursue people who exploit others through deception.

Kriisa was arrested by FBI agents on Friday and was being held at the Fayette County Detention Center in Kentucky as he awaited extradition to West Virginia, according to reports describing the status of custody. He is expected to appear in federal court in West Virginia this week, with the next step in the case tied to the extradition process and initial proceedings on the wire fraud charges.