CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — A former West Virginia University basketball player has been indicted on federal wire fraud charges after prosecutors alleged he defrauded multiple victims out of nearly $2.2 million over several years.
According to federal court documents, 25-year-old Kerr Kriisa is charged with five counts of wire fraud stemming from an alleged scheme that investigators say operated from 2022 through June 2026.
Prosecutors allege Kriisa used fabricated identities, false stories and deceptive communications to persuade victims to send him money. Court documents claim he posed as multiple individuals, including fictional contacts and family members, while falsely stating that he or his relatives faced urgent financial emergencies.
The indictment alleges Kriisa claimed family members needed medical treatment, including cancer care, or that family property required immediate financial assistance in order to obtain repeated payments from victims.
Investigators also allege he directed one victim to send money to another under false pretenses and later signed an agreement promising to repay one victim $100,000, a promise prosecutors claim was part of the fraudulent scheme.
Authorities estimate the alleged fraud totaled approximately $2.2 million.
Kriisa played collegiate basketball at the University of Arizona, West Virginia University, the University of Kentucky and the University of Cincinnati during his college career.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, and federal prosecutors are seeking forfeiture of assets connected to the alleged offenses, including a money judgment totaling approximately $2.2 million.
Federal officials emphasized that an indictment is an allegation, and Kriisa is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
