Kerr Kriisa Indicted in Fraud Scheme

Kerr Kriisa, a former basketball player from Kentucky, has been charged in connection with a fraud scheme totaling around $2.2 million.

The 6-foot-3 guard is accused of carrying out a scheme that involved false representations, fake identities, and misleading communications to defraud several victims, according to a statement from the Justice Department.

One particularly troubling allegation includes a claim in the indictment where Kriisa purportedly told a victim he would sell his organs to pay them back in November 2022.

Kriisa was arrested recently in Lexington, Kentucky. He has a notable history in college basketball, having played for Kentucky, Arizona, West Virginia, and Cincinnati.

Last season, while at Cincinnati, he averaged 5.8 points and 3.0 assists per game. Unfortunately, he missed a significant part of the season due to a shoulder injury.

The Justice Department indicated that Kriisa’s fraudulent activities began in 2022 when he duped two victims by falsely claiming that a family member needed cancer treatment and that their farm was at risk.

According to the indictment, he impersonated a woman named Irene and signed a fake promise to return $100,000 to one of the victims by February.

At times, Kriisa reportedly pressured his victims into sending money under false pretenses.

U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey commented on the case, stating, “Financial fraud schemes undermine trust and cause real harm to victims who believed they were helping someone in need. Our office will continue to pursue those who exploit others through deception, and we are committed to holding them accountable.”

The authorities are also looking to recover any money gained from the alleged crimes, aiming for a forfeiture of approximately $2.2 million.

This arrest occurred just ahead of Kriisa’s scheduled participation in a basketball tournament for Kentucky’s alumni team, La Familia, set to begin on July 18. Following the indictment, he has been removed from the team.