Estonian basketball player Kerr Kriisa officially charged with large-scale internet fraud

The US Federal Prosecutor's Office officially announced on July 6 that charges have been brought against Estonian basketball player Kerr Kriisa for a massive internet fraud scheme. According to information released by the West Virginia court, the 25-year-old Kriisa is accused of orchestrating a scheme that resulted in the theft of $2.2 million.

The indictment states that Kriisa's fraudulent activities began in 2022 while he was playing for West Virginia University and continued at least until June 2 of this year. The basketball player allegedly told victims that his family was in danger, his mother needed cancer treatment, and the family farm had to be saved. He also impersonated his mother and a fictional character named Irene to extract money.

In the fall of 2022, Kriisa reportedly promised one victim that he would sell his internal organs to cover debts. In the spring of 2025, he signed a written contract with another victim, pledging to pay $100,000 by February 2026, but failed to fulfill the obligation. Court documents mention two victims whom Kriisa repeatedly urged to make money transfers.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has not filed any charges against Kriisa related to sports betting. He is expected to appear in court in West Virginia this week.