Indictment against ex-college hoops star contains wire fraud charges, but none on point shaving

Kerr Kriisa, a former University of West Virginia guard, has been charged with five counts of wire fraud stemming from a $2.2 million fraudulent scheme, according to an indictment unsealed on Monday in the US District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia.

While reports surfaced over the 4 July holiday that Kriisa faced charges on bribery in sporting contests, he was not charged for any infractions related to point shaving in the indictment. Kriisa appeared in 19 games for the University of Cincinnati during the 2025-26 season, the last of his six seasons in NCAA Division I college basketball.

A native of Estonia, Kriisa signed with Tartu Ülikool of the Estonian-Latvian Basketball League after his departure from Cincinnati. Kriisa spent three seasons with the University of Arizona from 2020-23, before completing stints with West Virginia and Kentucky for one season each.

Kriisa is the son of Valmo Kriisa, a former Estonian national team member. According to the indictment, the younger Kriisa at one point fraudulently posed as his mother, Kersti Kull, in an attempt to solicit funds from an apparent victim. Kriisa allegedly sought funds for his mother’s cancer treatments, which were also false, prosecutors stated in the indictment.

“Financial fraud schemes erode trust and cause real harm to victims who believed they were helping someone in need,” US Attorney Matthew Harvey said in a statement. “Our office will continue to pursue individuals who exploit others through deception. We are committed to holding them accountable for their actions.”

Harrowing charges

As revelers in the US celebrated the nation’s 250th birthday, Kriisa was arrested by the FBI in connection with the scheme, Kentucky Sports Radio reported. Kriisa, who appeared in nine games for the Kentucky Wildcats in 2024-25, awaits extradition to West Virginia, according to multiple reports.

Beginning in 2022, Kriisa intended to devise a scheme to defraud and obtain money by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses in the Northern District of West Virginia, according to the indictment unsealed this week. The multi-year ploy lasted through June of this year, prosecutors stated.

According to the indictment, Kriisa intended to obtain millions from multiple victims using false representations, fabricated identities, and deceptive communication. On multiple occasions, culminating in February 2026, Kriisa allegedly posed as an individual named “Irene” in attempts to secure financial payments from an individual identified as “Victim 2″.

Previously, over a three-year period through 2024, Kriisa allegedly sent emails to another individual identified as “Victim 1” regarding efforts to secure payments to help save his family’s farm. There, Kriisa posed as his mother in an attempt to receive financing from the individual. In November 2022 when Kriisa starred for Arizona, he falsely told the victim that he intended to sell his organs for money to repay her.

The indictment describes numerous emails and text messages sent as part of the scheme, including five wire transmissions tied to the charged counts. Kriisa, however, is not charged with bribery in sporting contests, a charge that multiple defendants are facing in a sweeping Brooklyn sports betting case. When reached by iGB, a spokesperson for the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia declined to comment on anything related to the case beyond the scope of the indictment.  

Update in Philly point-shaving case

The world of college basketball has been beset by an ongoing point-shaving scheme that has ensnared more than a dozen players across at least 17 teams. Following multiple guilty pleas, lead defendant Jalen Smith faced a sentencing hearing in Philadelphia last month. However, attorneys for Smith petitioned for a delay, pushing sentencing to October.

Meanwhile, four other defendants, including three players, are set to appear for change of plea hearings on 29 July. One former player, ex-University of New Orleans guard Dyquavion Short, allegedly fixed three games during the 2024-25 college basketball season, according to a 70-page indictment in the case. Short is scheduled to appear before a judge in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on the same morning that former University of Buffalo guard Shawn Fulcher is expected to change his not guilty plea.

Fulcher is accused of deliberately underperforming in multiple games during the 2023-24 season. In addition, Fulcher allegedly recruited other players to take part in the comprehensive match-fixing scheme, according to the indictment.

A third player, Bradley Ezewiro, spent time at four Division I programs, including the University of Saint Louis during the 2023-2024 season. Ezewiro allegedly attempted to recruit several other players for the scheme, namely Da’Sean Nelson, then a forward on DePaul.

Charges against ex-DraftKings trader in Fresno matter

Separately, a former DraftKings trader in Nevada is facing criminal charges for his role in an alleged scheme involving an-ex Fresno State basketball player.

Last September, the NCAA permanently banned several players for allegedly betting on their own games. Former Fresno State player Mykell Robinson allegedly conspired with ex-roommate Steven Vasquez to manipulate several wagers prior to the Bulldogs’ 91-64 loss to Colorado State in January 2025.

According to the NCAA, Vasquez worked in tandem with Robinson to place a series of bets on his former roommate’s under totals in numerous statistical categories. At the time, the NCAA found that Robinson, Vasquez and an unnamed third party bet more than $1,000 on Robinson’s under line for multiple categories. Samuel Silverman, the former trader at DraftKings, allegedly received a cut of the profits from the fraudulent wagers, ESPN reported.

When reached by ESPN, a DraftKings spokesman said that Silverman did not have any college basketball responsibilities as part of his trading duties. Silverman, who is facing multiple felony charges, has pleaded not guilty, according to his attorney.

While none of the additional suspects have been formally charged as of Tuesday, the Nevada Gaming Control Board told ESPN that the state is “actively pursuing” charges, as several suspects remain outstanding.