Former University of Arizona men’s basketball player Kerr Kriisa, an Estonian national named after Wildcats legend and Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, was arrested and will appear in federal court this week on five counts of wire fraud, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday.
Kriisa, 25, is charged with defrauding victims of nearly $2.2 million from 2022 through June 2, 2026, by using false representations, fabricated identities and deceptive communications.
The indictment alleges that Kriisa posed as various individuals, falsely claimed he and his family were in danger, that his mother needed cancer treatment, or that family property required urgent financial support.
“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 release. “Our office will continue to pursue individuals who exploit others through deception. We are committed to holding them accountable for their actions.”
Kriisa spent three seasons in Tucson, from 2020-23. The 6-foot-3 guard’s best year was the 2022–23 season, when he started 34 games, averaged 9.9 points and led the Pac-12 conference with 5.14 assists per game.
Kriisa has since played basketball for West Virginia, Kentucky and Cincinnati.
Kriisa allegedly requested repeated payments from two victims and directed one victim to send money to the other under false pretenses, according to the DOJ release.
The indictment describes numerous emails and text messages sent as part of the scheme, including five specific wire transmissions tied to the charged counts.
In April 2025, Kriisa also allegedly signed a written agreement fraudulently promising to repay one victim $100,000 by February 2026.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod Douglas is prosecuting the case. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Former Arizona basketball player Kerr Kriisa charged with wire fraud
