Estonian basketball player Kriisa accused of elaborate fraud, impersonating his mother and others
Estonian point guard Kriisa has been accused of defrauding people from 2022 to 2025 by impersonating his mother, a fictional person 'Irena', and others, asking for money for fabricated emergencies.
Estonian basketball player Kriisa, who played in the NCAA, faces serious accusations of large-scale fraud. According to the indictment, starting in June 2022, he impersonated other people and falsely claimed that he and his family urgently needed money for an emergency.
In electronic correspondence, Kriisa allegedly stated that he had received a loan to pay off previous debts, and in another instance lied that he planned to sell his organs to obtain money for repayment. Between 2022 and 2024, he contacted the same victim pretending to be his mother, asking for money for cancer treatment and to save the family farm.
In April 2025, he allegedly signed a written agreement falsely promising to repay the victim $100,000 by February 2026. From November 2025 to early February of this year, he repeatedly asked another victim for money while impersonating a fictional person named 'Irena'.
Kriisa played as a point guard in the NCAA for West Virginia, Arizona, Kentucky, and Cincinnati. He was considered one of the most talented Estonian basketball players of his generation, but his college career was affected by several injuries.
