Hoops Fraud: Ex-College Star Kerr Kriisa Faces $2.2M Wire Fraud Charges, Booted from TBT Roster
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. – Former college basketball standout Kerr Kriisa has been arrested on federal wire fraud charges for allegedly orchestrating a $2.2 million scheme that preyed on victims with fabricated tales of family emergencies, just as the team he was set to play for in The Basketball Tournament (TBT) announced he has been removed from its roster.
According to court documents unsealed Monday, the 25-year-old Estonian national is accused of running the fraud from 2022 through June 2, 2026, operating out of Monongalia County and elsewhere. Prosecutors allege Kriisa assumed multiple fabricated identities, posing as fictional contacts and family members to convince victims that he and his relatives were in peril, that his mother required cancer treatment, or that family property faced urgent financial collapse.
U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey condemned the scheme, stating: “Financial fraud schemes erode trust and cause real harm to victims who believed they were helping someone in need. Our office will continue to pursue individuals who exploit others through deception.”
The indictment details how Kriisa allegedly solicited repeated payments from two victims, at times directing one to wire money to the other under false pretexts, utilizing numerous emails and text messages. Five specific wire transmissions are tied directly to the charged counts. Additionally, in April 2025, Kriisa is alleged to have signed a written agreement to repay one victim $100,000 by February 2026—a promise prosecutors say was itself fraudulent.
The arrest has triggered immediate professional fallout. La Familia, the TBT squad Kriisa was slated to join, announced his removal late last night. “We’re aware of the allegations regarding Kerr Kriisa,” the team stated on X. “Kerr will not be competing with La Familia during the TBT Tournament. We will have no further comment.”
The 6-foot-3 guard had a winding collegiate career, starting at the University of Arizona in 2020 where he led the Pac-12 in assists over two full seasons. He later transferred to West Virginia University, serving a nine-game suspension for receiving impermissible benefits. A transfer to the University of Kentucky in 2024 was limited to just nine games due to a foot injury, and he finished his eligibility at the University of Cincinnati, where he started 12 games before suffering a separated shoulder in February.
Shared on X, The La Familia team announced last night that Kerr Kriisa will no longer be playing with the team in TBT following his arrest by the FBI. “We’re aware of the allegations regarding Kerr Kriisa,” La Familia said in a statement on X. “Kerr will not be competing with La Familia during the TBT Tournament. We will have no further comment.”
The government is pursuing forfeiture of all traceable proceeds, including a money judgment of approximately $2.2 million. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod Douglas is prosecuting the case, while the FBI leads the investigation. Kriisa is scheduled to appear in federal court this week.
It is important to note that an indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Read the filed indictment here:
Counterfeit Willie Mays Memorabilia Scheme Lands Concord Dealer 21 Months in Federal Prison
OAKLAND – A Concord sports memorabilia dealer was sentenced Monday to 21 months in federal prison for selling counterfeit items falsely attributed to baseball legend Willie Mays and attempting to obstruct the FBI investigation into his crimes, federal prosecutors announced.
Daniel Damato, 40, received the prison term from U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín, who also ordered three years of supervised release and restitution totaling $1,068,940. Damato, already in custody, will begin serving his sentence immediately.
Damato pleaded guilty on December 8, 2025, to a single count of wire fraud, to which he was charged by Information on October 20, 2025. According to court documents, between 2022 and 2024, the dealer doctored sports collectables and fabricated their provenance to pass them off as authentic, historically significant items, then marketed them to unsuspecting buyers at heavily inflated prices.
The indictment specifically identified two fraudulent transactions involving items purportedly tied to Willie Mays, described in the Information as one of the greatest baseball players of all time. Damato sold a baseball bat for $100,000 to one victim, representing it as a game-used bat from the 1954 World Series. In his plea, however, Damato admitted the bat was actually a “factory error” bat measuring one inch shorter than the length Mays used throughout his career.
In a second transaction, Damato sold a jersey for $50,000 to another victim, falsely claiming it was a game-worn jersey from 1972. He admitted in his plea agreement that the jersey was not worn by Mays.
The court additionally found that Damato defrauded a third victim of more than $900,000 by accepting payment for sports memorabilia that he never delivered.
Beyond the fraud itself, Damato admitted that after FBI agents executed a search warrant at his residence, he contacted at least one potential witness in an attempt to obstruct the government’s investigation.
Damato was remanded into custody and will serve the full 21-month term as ordered by the court. Willie Mays, the legendary “Say Hey Kid” and arguably baseball’s greatest all-around player, died at 93 on June 18, 2024. Over a 22-year career, he hit 660 home runs, made 24 All-Star teams, won two MVPs, and made “The Catch” in the 1954 World Series. His death comes just days before a scheduled tribute game at Birmingham’s Rickwood Field, where he began his career in the Negro Leagues.
4 Houston-Area Residents Charged with Flying Drones into Restricted Airspace During FIFA Fan Festival
HOUSTON – Federal prosecutors have filed criminal complaints against four local men for illegally piloting drones into restricted national defense airspace near the World Cup fan zone, just days into the tournament, Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck announced Monday.
John Alexander Meza, 26, of La Porte; Jordan Lee Zale, 38, of Richmond; and Huu An Nguyen Dinh, 30, of Pearland, are scheduled for initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard W. Bennett at 2 p.m. July 7. A fourth defendant, Patrick Phillip Heer, 34, of Katy, is set to appear July 8 at 10 a.m.
According to court documents, all four allegedly operated drones within the Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) zone established around the FIFA World Cup Fan Zone east of downtown Houston, an area designated a strict “No Drone Zone” by the FAA and law enforcement to ensure safety for players, attendees, and staff.
In one case, Heer was observed on or about June 13 flying a drone in restricted airspace near Polk and Chartres Streets, within the TFR boundaries, the complaint alleges.
On June 11, law enforcement allegedly spotted a small drone flying near 612 Live Oak Street, also inside the TFR zone, and identified Meza as the pilot, according to charges. That same day, another drone was reported near 633 Middle Street within the restricted area; investigators determined Zale was operating it, the complaint states.
In a fourth incident, Dinh was charged with flying a drone on June 18 in the vicinity of 3305 Jefferson Street, also within the TFR zone, according to the allegations.
The FAA implements temporary flight restrictions during major sporting events to secure airspace and limit air travel. Taking off, landing, or flying a drone within these areas violates federal and local regulations.
Authorities urge anyone witnessing illegal drone activity to report it to 911, on-site law enforcement, or the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
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