Former Cincinnati guard Kerr Kriisa was arrested by FBI agents on Saturday and is expected to be extradited to West Virginia next week, according to Kentucky Sports Radio’s Jack Pilgrim.
Pilgrim reported that the 25-year-old from Estonia was taken into custody in connection with a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme tied to his time at West Virginia during the 2023-24 season. A court hearing is scheduled for next week. Pilgrim also noted that Kriisa averaged 5.8 points and 3.0 assists in 19 games this past season at Cincinnati.
The arrest interrupts what was supposed to be Kriisa’s next stop. He had been set to play in The Basketball Tournament this month, but that is no longer happening. He also signed last week with his former club, Tartu Ülikool Maks & Moorits, for the upcoming season in Estonia.
Cincinnati added Kriisa from the transfer portal last spring, and he opened the year as an important starter. Injuries, which have followed him throughout his career, eventually pushed him out of the rotation.
Kriisa spent six seasons in college basketball, and his West Virginia stint now sits at the center of the legal case. Before his college run, he also played in the Kaunas Žalgiris system in Lithuania and spent time in Germany with Brose Bamberg and Bayreuth Young Pikes.
Last year at 2025 Big 12 Media Days, Kriisa spoke openly about his appreciation for 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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