Estonian Basketball Player Kar Karissa Faces 20 Years in Prison for Major Fraud Scheme

Kar Karissa, a 25-year-old Estonian basketball player who recently played alongside Israeli player Sean Abiyev at the University of Cincinnati, has been arrested and charged by the U.S. Department of Justice with running a large-scale fraud scheme. Once regarded as a promising European talent with potential to compete in the EuroLeague, Karissa appeared in the EuroLeague with Žalgiris before spending six seasons in U.S. college basketball.

According to the indictment, Karissa embezzled approximately $2.2 million from multiple victims over four years by using false pretenses and fake identities. In one instance, he convinced a victim to transfer money by falsely claiming his mother was battling cancer and needed urgent treatment. In another case, he impersonated his mother to solicit funds to "save" the family farm.

Karissa’s legal troubles follow a difficult season at Cincinnati, where he averaged 5.8 points and 3 assists per game before a shoulder injury in February ended his season. His arrest is part of a broader DOJ crackdown over the past decade targeting college players and coaches involved in gambling and bribery scandals. If convicted, Karissa faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years, marking a dramatic fall from his once-promising basketball career.