Former Cincinnati Bearcats Guard Kerr Kriisa Pleads Guilty in Wire Fraud Case, Prison Sentence Capped

Kerr Kriisa has pleaded guilty in his federal wire fraud case.

The former Cincinnati Bearcats basketball guard played his final college season with UC last campaign and has seen his life change in a big way since then.

A news release from U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey noted Kriisa admitted to one federal count of wire fraud. It's one of two alleged fraud situations Kriisa found himself in. He now faces a maximum of two years in prison (a lower maximum sentence because he pleaded guilty) and is being sentenced on Dec. 22.

In April 2025, Kriisa allegedly told one other victim he'd repay them $100,000 by February 2026 but never did. He was indicted in July.

“Financial fraud schemes erode trust and cause real harm to victims who believed they were helping someone in need,” said Harvey in the July indictment release. “Our office will continue to pursue individuals who exploit others through deception. We are committed to holding them accountable for their actions.”

Kriisa was allegedly trying to cover/clean all this up during his time with Cincinnati. He played in 19 games for Cincinnati and averaged 20.9 minutes per outing.

“Financial fraud is not a game, and those who choose to deceive and exploit others will be held accountable,” Harvey, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia, said in a statement this week.

Part of the indictment is laid out below.

"On or about the dates listed in the chart below, in Monongalia County, in the Northern District of West Virginia, and elsewhere, the defendant, KERR KRIISA, for the purpose of executing and attempting to execute the scheme and artifice to defraud and obtain money by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises, knowingly transmitted and caused to be transmitted by means of wire communications in interstate and foreign commerce, the following writings and signals, as more specifically described below, each execution and attempted execution constituting a separate violation."

Check out the full indictment here as Cincinnati basketball moves on from its time with Kriisa.

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