WALKER — Livingston Parish deputies arrested the Walker High School baseball coach Thursday and accused him of submitting bogus purchase orders to collect nearly $30,000 from the parish school system for baseball equipment that was never ordered.

Nicholas Scelfo, who became coach of the Wildcats last May and also taught at the high school, is accused of felony theft in excess of $25,000. The Sheriff's Office said he was being booked into the Livingston Parish jail Thursday afternoon.

The Livingston Parish School Board has placed Scelfo on administrative leave.

"Beginning in September 2023, Walker High School Head Baseball Coach Nicholas Scelfo submitted multiple invoices for reimbursement on equipment he purchased with his own funds for the baseball program," a statement from Sheriff Jason Ard said. 

During an end-of-season inventory, school officials couldn't find the equipment for which they had paid $29,360.21, Ard said.

"Vendors the equipment was supposedly purchased from were contacted. Those vendors confirmed that the order numbers did not exist nor were there any orders placed by Scelfo," Ard said.

Walker had a 23-10 regular season record this year and reached the second round of the state playoffs before falling to Sam Houston last Friday. 

Felony theft of more than $25,000 carries a prison term of up to 20 years.

Prior to his hiring at Walker, Scelfo was the head coach at Catholic High of Pointe Coupee, Ascension Christian and Central Private. He was an assistant previously at St. Michael.