Former Cincinnati point guard Kerr Kriisa was arrested by FBI agents on Saturday, according to Kentucky Sports Radio’s Jack Pilgrim, and he is expected to be extradited to West Virginia next week in connection with an alleged crime.
Pilgrim reported that Kriisa is tied to a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme that dates back to his time at West Virginia during the 2023-24 season. A court hearing is scheduled for next week after the extradition.
“The 25-year-old from Estonia’s arrest was in connection with a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme dating back to his time at West Virginia as a Mountaineer in 2023-24. He’s being extradited to West Virginia with a court hearing scheduled for next week. Kriisa averaged 5.8 points and 3.0 assists in 19 games this past season at Cincinnati,” Pilgrim posted on Saturday.
The arrest comes after Kriisa had been set to play in The Basketball Tournament this month, but that plan is off now. He had also signed last week with his former club, Tartu Ülikool Maks & Moorits, for the upcoming season in Estonia.
Kriisa spent six seasons in college basketball, including his stop at Cincinnati, where he arrived from the transfer portal last spring. He opened the season as an important starter, but injuries - a recurring issue throughout his career - eventually pushed him out of the rotation.
Before his college run, Kriisa played in the Kaunas Žalgiris system in Lithuania and later spent time in Germany with Brose Bamberg and Bayreuth Young Pikes.
Last year at Big 12 Media Days, Kriisa spoke about what he loved most about the college game: “College basketball is the best thing in the world,” Kriisa told the local media in a breakout session at 2025 Big 12 Media Days last year about his love for the sport. “You can't compare college basketball to your league to the NBA, because the community and everything about it is so special.
Everybody has their own mascot. Everybody takes pride.
And it's just the best. It really is like it makes me, like, smiley; it's a super cool thing.”
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