Former University of Cincinnati Bearcats guard Kerr Kriisa has been arrested by the FBI in connection with an alleged multimillion-dollar fraud scheme, according to multiple reports. The 25-year-old, a native of Estonia, has been held at the Fayette County Detention Center in Lexington, Kentucky, since Friday, July 3.
Officials at the detention center said they could not release details about the arrest or the charges against Kriisa because the case falls under federal jurisdiction.
According to a report from Jack Pilgrim of Kentucky Sports Radio, Kriisa is awaiting extradition to West Virginia, where a court hearing is expected sometime next week.
Reports indicate the alleged scheme traces back to Kriisa’s time playing for West Virginia University during the 2023-24 season. As of Sunday afternoon, no further specifics about the nature of the fraud allegations had been made public.
A Well-Traveled College Career
Kriisa’s college basketball journey took him through four programs over six seasons. He began at the University of Arizona, where he spent three seasons as a regular starter.
He later transferred to West Virginia for the 2023-24 season, then played briefly at Kentucky before landing at Cincinnati as a graduate transfer for the 2025-26 season.
At Cincinnati, Kriisa appeared in 19 games, starting 12 of them, and averaged 5.8 points and 3.0 assists per contest. His season included a high point of 20 points in a December matchup against Tarleton State. However, an injury suffered after a three-point shot against Houston in early January limited him significantly down the stretch, and he did not appear in a game following a February 5 loss to West Virginia.
Notably, Kriisa was named after NBA legend Steve Kerr, who later became general manager of the Phoenix Suns and head coach of the Golden State Warriors.
Tournament and Overseas Plans Disrupted
Before his arrest, Kriisa had been preparing to make his debut with La Familia, Kentucky’s entry in The Basketball Tournament, an open-invitation, single-elimination competition. La Familia acknowledged the arrest in a statement over the weekend, confirming that Kriisa would no longer be part of the team’s roster for the tournament.
Kriisa also had plans to continue his playing career overseas, having reportedly signed with Estonian club Tartu Ülikool Maks & Moorits for the 2026-27 season. It remains unclear how the fraud allegations might affect those plans.
Kriisa’s arrest adds his name to a growing list of basketball players facing federal scrutiny in recent months. Just days earlier, on June 29, former NBA players Malik Beasley and Ed Davis were indicted as part of a separate federal gambling investigation that has already led to charges against Terry Rozier, Chauncey Billups, and Damon Jones.
As the case against Kriisa moves forward, additional details are expected to emerge once he appears in court in West Virginia. Until then, questions remain about the scope of the alleged scheme and how it connects to his time as a college athlete across four different programs.
