Former Žalgiris Talent K. Kriisa Arrested by FBI in U.S. Fraud Scheme

Estonian basketball player K. Kriisa has been arrested by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in connection with a multi-million dollar fraud scheme. The investigation reportedly centers on his activities during the 2023-2024 season while playing for West Virginia University.

Kriisa, 25, is expected to be transferred to West Virginia and appear in court next week. Unofficial reports indicate he faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, sports bribery, and aiding and abetting a criminal offense.

His father, Valmo Kriisa, a figure in Estonian basketball, stated he was unaware of the accusations. The arrest has disrupted K. Kriisa's summer plans, which included playing in "The Basketball Tournament" with the alumni team "La Familia" and reviving his professional career in Estonia with Tartu "Maks & Moorits."

During his six-year U.S. college basketball career, marked by injuries, Kriisa played 127 games, starting 106. He averaged 8.8 points, 4.4 assists, and 2.2 rebounds. He previously played for the University of Arizona from 2020-2023, where he was a teammate of Azuolas and Tautvilas Tubelis. He also played one season each for West Virginia, Kentucky, and Cincinnati universities before returning to Europe a few months ago.

Before his injury-plagued period, Kriisa was considered one of Estonia's most promising young basketball talents. He last represented the Estonian national team at the 2022 European Championship finals, where he was a key player at just 21 years old. Kriisa developed within the Kaunas "Žalgiris" system from 2018-2020, debuting in the EuroLeague at 18. He also briefly played for the Prienai club on loan.