Used-car dealer employee accused of defrauding customers

A former employee of a Valley Stream used car dealership was arrested Thursday and charged with taking money from unsuspecting customers with the ruse that he could fix their credit so they could purchase a vehicle, police said.

Julio Estrada, 38, of Hackettstown, N.J., who worked at 1-800-Pre-Owned, 400 West Merrick Rd., was charged with multiple counts of grand larceny, and falsifying business records, Nassau police said.

Between August and October 2012, Estrada defrauded customers of more than $6,000, police said.

Estrada was to be arraigned Friday in First District Court, Hempstead.