A Georgia man is facing multiple charges after allegedly posing as a high school football recruiter and scamming families out of tens of thousands of dollars across several states.
According to a report by WSB-TV Atlanta, 40-year-old Malcolm Xavier Walker was arrested on July 31 after authorities in Virginia's York County said he took $20,000 from a family under the false promise of helping their son earn a college football scholarship.
The victim told the sheriff’s office that Walker promised to organize college visits, produce recruiting highlight reels, and coordinate travel to football seminars but eventually stopped communicating after receiving money.
Walker has been charged with felony larceny by false pretense and is currently being held at the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail. Authorities say Walker’s scam didn’t stop in Virginia. Reports from WSB-TV and Fox 5 Atlanta say investigators discovered that he had carried out similar schemes across multiple East Coast states, including Georgia.
In March 2025, Gainesville police charged Walker with theft by deception after he allegedly scammed a local high school coach and his player. Phyllip Becoats, a mentor to Gainesville High School senior B.J. Bailey, said he paid Walker to promote the teen to college recruiters.
Walker reportedly created a highlight video, then claimed he had lined up a visit to the University of Colorado. He asked for over $1,000 to cover travel expenses, but the trip never happened, and Walker disappeared.
“He talks the talk, but, unfortunately, that’s all he’s got going for him,” Gainesville Police Lt. Kevin Holbrook told Fox 5. “He’s just stealing these people’s money and leaving them with absolutely nothing.”
