A man posing as a high school football recruiter was arrested last week by the Gainesville Police after the department received a complaint from a victim of fraud.
Gainesville Police Department Lt. Kevin Holbrook said Malcolm Xavier Walker, age 39 of Buford, was arrested on March 3 off a complaint filed on Dec. 18, 2024.
Holbrook said in the complaint that the victim said he “sent multiple CashApp transactions to Walker totaling $1,023.00 for services that were never rendered.” Also, according to the complaint, Walker promised the victim that he could get his son, a football player, in front of recruiting personnel. The money transfer was to cover the cost of airfare and game entries as promised.
Walker alleged that he had a son who played for Buford High School and was accepted on scholarship to Colorado University, claiming he could help the victim do the same for their son.
“Walker used hope and a future to prey upon our youth, using the goodwill of their parents and guardians,” Holbrook said.
Holbrook said an investigator took on the case as soon as it was presented to authorities.
“Many times, cases of this nature are difficult to investigate,” Holbrook said. “The investigator put forth a great deal of time and effort in following the leads and evidence trail. These are white collar cases, ones in which technology, accounting and forensics come together.”
Holbrook also said the local victim wasn’t the only instance of Walker’s apparent deception.
“We have received many inquiries from other victims across the southeast who fell prey to Walker,” he said. “Other law enforcement agencies have been following up on cases in their jurisdiction. We encourage possible victims to contact their local law enforcement agency to make a report.”
Walker was initially booked into the Gwinnett County Jail before being taken to the Hall County Jail on March 3 on a theft by deception charge. Hall County Sheriff's Office officials said Walker was released on bond the next day but was then taken to the Jackson County Jail on a similar charge. Walker's booking information from Hall County also indicated he had a hold from Houston County in Middle Georgia.
