Estonian basketball player Kerr Kriisa's plea deal caps sentence in US fraud case at two years

Kerr Kriisa, a 25-year-old Estonian basketball player who previously played US college basketball in the NCAA, can receive no more than two years in prison under a plea agreement with prosecutors, his Estonian lawyers Kati Reitsak and Tambet Toomela told ERR. Kriisa was arrested in the United States in July and charged with wire fraud connected to his time as a college player. His court hearing is scheduled for December 22.

What the agreement says

The original indictment said the scheme defrauded victims of more than US$2.2 million. When the case broke, media reports referred to sentences lasting decades. According to the lawyers, Kriisa has admitted guilt on one of five counts, which concerns a single request for €9,000. If the court approves the deal, all other allegations fall away. The judge will determine the final sum, and the court is bound by the two-year ceiling. Kriisa will also have the right to speak at the hearing.

The lawyers stress that two years is not their goal; they are working for an outcome that would let Kriisa return to Estonia. If he receives a real prison sentence, they will examine serving it at home under international conventions. They say this may become clear only by early next year.

Kriisa's situation

The lawyers say the player trains, plays in an amateur league and attends support groups for gambling addiction. Kriisa himself has chosen to stay silent. According to the lawyers, a grand jury decided to charge him in April 2026, but he learned of it only upon his arrest.

Background

Kriisa signed with Estonian club Tartu Ülikool Maks & Moorits in early July, days before his arrest, and has not played competitively since. The charges date back to his time at West Virginia University in 2023–2024. He later played for Kentucky and Cincinnati.